FSDA ready for app route to let consumers report adulteration

Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) is planning to use the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India’s mobile application, Food Connect, in Uttar Pradesh

Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) is planning to use the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India’s mobile application, Food Connect, in Uttar Pradesh to enable consumers to directly report food adulteration.

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“The mobile application has been already launched by FSSAI and we are now trying to implement the idea here in UP. People can report adulteration or sale of any spurious edibles from the next month onwards,” said TR Rawat, designated officer FSDA.

FSSAI’s mobile application is a part of a countrywide drive to combat adulteration, officials said.

Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) functions under FSSAI to check sale of spurious or sub-standard food articles in UP.

Rawat said a technical team was in the process of connecting the application with the FSDA portal, which would further enable the department to access complaints made by the consumers in UP. “We have been provided with the login details of the application. Once it is connected to our portal, the department will start responding to the complaints made through the mobile application,” Rawat added.

The mobile application is programmed to pass on the complaint to the respective state, districts and to the officials concerned.

“One cannot sit over the complaint as it will be monitored directly from the apex body (FSSAI) and has to be responded to at the earliest,” he added.

The mobile application will also let consumers check the status of their complaints, using the unique reference number that would be provided to them at the time when the complaint is lodged.

Officials said the aim was to make consumers aware of their rights. “The application would surely make people more vigilant and active than before,” an official added.