FSSAI Technical Officer flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

FSS Act 2006 repeal

The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 repealed the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 and seven other orders including the Fruit Products Order 1955 and Meat Food Products Order 1973.

Section 3 food definition

Section 3(1)(j) defines food as any substance, whether processed, partly processed or unprocessed, intended for human consumption, including chewing gum, bottled water and food ingredients.

FSSAI establishment

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was established under Section 4 of the FSS Act 2006, with a Chairperson and 22 members appointed by the Central Government.

Section 26 FBO duties

Food business operators must ensure food complies with the Act, is not unsafe, maintain traceability records, recall non-compliant food, and display licence or registration details.

Section 59 penalties

Section 59 prescribes penalties: up to Rs 2 lakh for substandard food, up to Rs 10 lakh for unsafe food, and up to Rs 10 lakh for misbranded food.

Section 31 licensing

Section 31 requires every food business operator to obtain a licence or registration from the designated authority, with separate procedures for petty businesses and larger units.

Water activity aw

Water activity is the ratio of vapour pressure of food to that of pure water at the same temperature; bacteria need aw above 0.91, yeasts above 0.88, moulds above 0.80.

D-value and z-value

D-value is the time in minutes at a given temperature to reduce a microbial population by 90%; z-value is the temperature change giving a 10-fold change in D-value.

F0 commercial sterility

F0 is the equivalent time in minutes at 121.1 degrees Celsius to achieve commercial sterility; a minimum F0 of 3 minutes corresponds to a 12D reduction of Clostridium botulinum.

HACCP seven principles

HACCP principles are hazard analysis, CCP determination, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification and record-keeping, as set out in the Codex Alimentarius Annex.

Trans fat limit

FSSAI caps trans fat content of edible oils and fats at 2% by weight; blends must declare composition and cannot be labelled as a single oil.

Nutritional labelling 2020

The FSS Labelling and Display Regulations 2020 require declaration of energy, protein, carbohydrate, sugars, fats, cholesterol and sodium per 100 g or 100 mL and per serving.

Additive functional classes

Food additives are grouped into 14 functional classes including preservatives, colours, emulsifiers, stabilisers, antioxidants, sweeteners, thickeners and acidity regulators under Appendix A.

Section 47 sampling

Under Section 47, the Food Safety Officer divides a sample into four parts, seals each, sends one to the Designated Officer, one to the Food Analyst, and one to the FBO.

Food Analyst report timeline

The Food Analyst must issue a report in Form VII within 14 days of receiving the sample; the Designated Officer may extend this period on request.

ISO/IEC 17025 requirements

ISO/IEC 17025 requires method validation, measurement uncertainty estimation, metrological traceability, and documented quality control including control charts and reference materials.

Kjeldahl protein factor

Crude protein is calculated as Kjeldahl nitrogen multiplied by 6.25 for most foods, 6.38 for dairy products, and 5.70 for wheat products.

LOD and LOQ

Limit of detection is the lowest analyte concentration reliably distinguished from blank; limit of quantification is the lowest concentration that can be measured with acceptable precision and accuracy.

ICP-MS heavy metals

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry is used for trace heavy metal analysis including lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury in food samples.

Petty food business

A petty food business has annual turnover up to Rs 12 lakh and requires registration in Form A rather than a full licence under the FSS Act.

Licence validity and renewal

Central and State food licences may be issued for 1 to 5 years; renewal application must be filed at least 30 days before the licence expires.

Section 32 improvement notice

An improvement notice gives the food business operator a specified period, usually 15 days, to remedy non-compliance; failure can lead to licence cancellation.

Recall classification

Under the FSS Food Recall Procedure Regulations 2017, Class I recalls involve serious health risk, Class II temporary health risk, and Class III no health risk.

Veg and non-veg logo

The green dot in a green square marks vegetarian food; the brown dot in a brown square marks non-vegetarian food; both are mandatory label declarations in India.

Section 24 misleading ads

Section 24 prohibits advertisement of food for sale that misleads consumers; Section 53 imposes a fine up to Rs 10 lakh for misleading advertisement.

Section 38 FSO powers

A Food Safety Officer may take samples, seize articles, enter and search premises, inspect documents, and require production of records under Section 38.

Section 42 prosecution consent

No prosecution under the FSS Act may be instituted without the written consent of the Designated Officer or the Authority, as required by Section 42.

Section 69 compounding

Section 69 allows compounding of offences, except those under Sections 59(1) and 59(2), by the Adjudicating Officer on payment of the prescribed sum.

Section 64 compensation

Section 64 allows the court to order compensation for injury or death caused by unsafe food, in addition to the penalty imposed on the food business operator.

FSSAI categorisation system

FSSAI uses a 16-category Food Categorisation System covering dairy, fats and oils, cereals, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, confectionery, beverages and proprietary foods for licensing and standards.

Central Food Laboratory

The Central Food Laboratory is the apex food analysis laboratory under Section 50; its report is conclusive evidence and supersedes the Food Analyst report in case of conflict.

Section 47(4) re-analysis

Within 15 days of receiving the Food Analyst report, the FBO may apply to the Designated Officer for re-analysis of the sample by the Central Food Laboratory.