FSSAI urges for comprehensive legislation for organic food products

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the autonomous body looking after food safety and regulations in the country, on Saturday said that a comprehensive legislation should be in place for organic food products.
“Presently, the agriculture ministry and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) are having separate guidelines for organic foods.
We feel there should be a single legislation in this regard,” Ashish Bahuguna, chairman of FSSAI, said.
Speaking on the sidelines of Confederation of Indian Industry event in New Delhi, he said that FSSAI has already prepared a draft regulation on organic food which has been put up in the public domain for seeking views from various stakeholders.
Bahuguna also sounded caution on boro rice cultivation due to high levels of arsenic contamination in water.
Bangladesh had already reduced boro cultivation for this purpose, he said, adding that use of drought-resistant paddy variants and long stem crops were desirable.