FSSAI Expands Legal Panel With Four New Firms Amid Rising Cases

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has added four more law firms to its legal panel, as food safety inspections, regulatory actions and related litigations are on the rise across the country, reports Bar and Bench.

SS Rana & Co, Singh & Associates, Suri & Co and GP Law Chambers are among the newly empanelled firms. They are the latest additions to the current panel of Chaudhary & Chaudhary, Sasttra Legal, Meharia & Company and Legacy Law at FSSAI, taking the total number of firms on the legal panel of the regulator to eight firms.

The appointments come on the heels of increased enforcement by FSSAI and state food safety departments across restaurants, cloud kitchens, warehouses and food manufacturing facilities, with inspections focusing on areas such as hygiene, food storage, packaging, labelling and manufacturing practices.

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Broader Legal Support:

The expanded panel will assist FSSAI in litigation, consumer disputes, legal advisory, legal opinions, intellectual property and corporate matters.

The regulator is dealing with over 800 cases across India and requires more legal support in various jurisdictions.

The move follows FSSAI’s expression of interest in engaging law firms to represent the authority before Supreme Court, High Courts, Central Administrative Tribunal benches, lower courts, tribunals and other judicial forums.

Enforcement Drives Intensify:

The legal expansion is accompanied by a series of food safety inspections and compliance drives across the country. Recent enforcement actions include regulatory notices, food seizures, destruction of products and licence suspensions for alleged breaches.

Officials in Bengaluru recently inspected hotels, restaurants, Indira Canteens and quick-commerce warehouses, issued a slew of compliance notices and sealed one warehouse for alleged lapses in food storage and handling.

Food regulators have also cracked down on manufacturing facilities in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra after inspections reportedly uncovered problems such as pest infestations, poor hygiene and inadequate storage conditions.

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Growing Legal Scrutiny:

Food companies and industry stakeholders are increasingly challenging FSSAI’s enforcement measures before courts and tribunals in matters relating to regulatory actions, compliance notices and labelling decisions.

The bigger legal panel is expected to help the regulator cope with its growing caseload and bolster its presence in various jurisdictions.

The selection process is understood to have looked at firms that have experience representing government bodies, public sector organisations and food businesses, alongside expertise in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, legislative drafting and food quality-related disputes.