Food Quality, Safety and Hygiene (FSSAI, HACCP, GMP)
9. Food Quality, Safety and Hygiene
This domain tests the Indian regulatory framework and plant-level food safety systems. Expect questions on FSSAI licensing, HACCP principles, GMP/GHP and hygiene practices.
Core rules
- FSSAI administers the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; regulations cover standards, labelling, additives, contaminants and licensing.
- Registration is for petty businesses; state licence and central licence apply at higher turnover thresholds. FoSTaC training is required for food safety supervisors.
- HACCP has seven principles: hazard analysis, CCP identification, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification and record-keeping.
- GMP covers facilities, equipment, process control and personnel; GHP covers cleaning, sanitation, pest control, personal hygiene and water quality.
- Pre-requisite programmes must be in place before HACCP; HACCP is not a zero-risk guarantee.
Worked example
Milk pasteurisation at 72°C for 15 s is a CCP. The critical limit is ≥72°C for ≥15 s. If the chart shows 70°C for 15 s, the corrective action is to divert the milk to reprocessing, hold it, investigate the cause and record the deviation. Reasoning: a CCP must have a measurable limit, continuous monitoring and a pre-defined action; without records, the control cannot be verified.
Traps
Do not call HACCP a testing laboratory. GMP and GHP are not the same as HACCP. A licence is not a substitute for hygiene. Do not treat all critical limits as microbiological; they can be temperature, time, pH or aw.