Even though Indian authorities are attempting to change their rules regarding food safety, many still believe that there is still a long way to go. Since the government banned foir gras a month ago in India, many still question the sanity of the rules that are currently being passed.
Though people question the sanity of the rules, none can deny the good intentions of the rules. Since the Food Safety and Standards Act in 2006, the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act of 1995 has been updated and was able to be placed under one comprehensive and contemporary legal umbrella. There was a good mood for these acts for a while until the rules framed into the act came into effect in 2011.
The rules that came into effect in 2011 are based on the list of 355 edible food products that are recognised by the PFA Act in 1955. This can be compared to the Codex Alimentarius, the food safety standard guide prepared by the World Health Organisation and the Food & Agriculture Organisation which lists more than 3,500 categories of edible products. Comparing 355 items to 3,500 categories, you can see that India has probably tightened their rules just a bit too much.
Some of the items that may now be banned are;
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Black olives. Even though green olives are allowed, they regard black olives as green olives that have gone bad.
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Mayonnaise or sausages. They can only be imported if it carries the ‘cooked meat’ label.
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Some cheeses. If the cheese is created by pasteurised milk then it is alright to be sold in India.
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