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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Regulator to measure food safety benefits

New Delhi: The government plans to quantify the economic losses the country suffers by compromising on food safety.The country’s food regulator — Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) — has already initiated talks with the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, in this regard. “In India, data on economic losses due to food safety is either not available and if available, it is lying scattered with various agencies. There is a need to pool in expertise and estimate how much we lose collectively by not paying attention to issues like food hygiene, which is a critical factor in determining health and productivity of an individual and society. Such figures would sensitise various sections of the society, including policymakers, to take this aspect of life more seriously,” a health ministry official said.The official added the food regulator is urging states to consider projects on “food safety related economic losses”