FSSAI’s new branch offices will be in Bhopal, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad and the new import offices will be at Attari, Kandla, Raxaul and Krishnapatnam.  It plans to set up two new food laboratories at Mumbai JNPT and Chennai. Built-up space for the purpose is being taken on long-term lease from Chennai and JNPT Mumbai port authorities.

FSSAI has recently upgraded its food laboratory at Ghaziabad. This is being successfully run on PPP-mode now. Work on upgradation of Kolkata food laboratory is in advanced stage and will soon be completed. FSSAI also plans to strengthen its laboratory extension centres at Sanauli and Raxaul on Indo-Nepal border to full-fledged food labs.

While inaugurating the north regional office of FSSAI at Ghaziabad, chairperson Rita Teaotia said that the expansion of the network of FSSAI offices and laboratories is to ensure that FSSAI has a pan-India presence. “This would help FSSAI strengthen its inspection and enforcement activities and have better control of imported food. Location of new offices has been decided after taking into account the workload of food imports and central licensing at various places. The work on identification of space for new offices has been initiated,” she said.

The government has generously supported FSSAI in recent years. Its funding has been raised five times.  About 500 new positions have been created. FSSAI has already initiated the process to fill up these posts.

In order to create a high performance culture in the organisation, FSSAI has adopted a goal-driven performance management system. This system is designed to ensure that employees and teams realise their full potential and recognise their role in contributing towards the larger goals of the organization. The new system ensures individual accountability, rewards high performers and provides performance improvement plans to below average performers.

Over the past four years, FSSAI has embarked on an extraordinary journey to build a strong public institution from ground up with great ambitions. It has disrupted the conventional role of a regulator to enabler and adopted the food systems approach through the ‘Eat Right India’ movement, putting citizens and consumers in the centre. Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, said, “While all issues of food safety and nutrition in the country have not been addressed, there is now a correct diagnosis and a proper treatment regimen available to address all the safety issues in a comprehensive manner.”