Overview of Indian Food Laws and Standards

Every time you pick up a bottle of juice, a packet of spices, or packaged meat from a store shelf in India, there is a set of laws and standards working behind the scenes to keep that food safe. India’s food regulatory framework has evolved over decades, shaped by multiple laws that each target a specific segment of the food supply chain. Five of the most significant among them are the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA), the Fruit Products Order (FPO), the Meat Food Products Order (MPO/MFPO), the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), and AGMARK. Understanding these laws and bodies is essential for anyone involved in food production, processing, trade, or even everyday consumption.

The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA), 1954 🔗

The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act was enacted by the Indian Parliament on 29 September 1954 and came into force on 1 June 1955. It was India’s first comprehensive central legislation aimed at tackling the widespread problem of food adulteration that plagued the country in the post-independence era. Before the PFA, individual states had their own local food adulteration laws, but these lacked uniformity and were largely ineffective.

The PFA Act applied to all food articles and beverages except water and drugs. Its primary objective was to prevent the adulteration of food and ensure that citizens had access to safe, pure, and wholesome products. It gave the Central Government authority to set up a Central Committee for Food Standards and establish Central Food Laboratories for testing food samples.

What counted as adulteration under the PFA? 🔗

The Act laid out a broad definition of adulteration. Food was considered adulterated if it contained substances harmful to health, if cheaper or inferior ingredients were substituted for the original, if essential nutrients had been removed, or if the food was prepared or stored under unsanitary conditions. For instance, mixing brick powder with chilli powder or diluting ghee with vegetable oil were classic examples targeted by this law.

Enforcement and penalties 🔗

The Act empowered state and central governments to appoint Food Inspectors, who were authorized to collect samples from vendors and send them to public analysts for testing. If a product was found adulterated, the inspector could stop its sale immediately. Penalties under the PFA ranged from fines to imprisonment – with harsher punishments for adulteration that could cause grievous harm or death. The enforcement was carried out by state and union territory governments, with the Central Government reviewing PFA Rules and conducting training programmes.

Transition to the FSSAI regime 🔗

While the PFA served as the backbone of food safety regulation for over five decades, it was eventually superseded by the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) of 2006. The FSSA established the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as a unified regulatory body. Many core principles of the PFA – consumer protection, scientific standard-setting, and robust enforcement – were carried forward into the new framework.

The Fruit Products Order (FPO), 1955 🔗

The Fruit Products Order was promulgated under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Its core purpose was to regulate the manufacture of fruit and vegetable products, ensuring that these products were produced under sanitary and hygienic conditions while meeting prescribed quality standards.

Scope and coverage 🔗

The FPO covered virtually all processed fruit and vegetable products available in the Indian market. This included fruit juices, nectars, squashes, cordials, crushes, jams, jellies, marmalades, pickles, canned fruits and vegetables, ketchups, sauces, synthetic beverages, and even vinegar. It was mandatory for all manufacturers of such products to obtain an FPO licence before starting production.

How was it administered? 🔗

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, through the Directorate of Fruit and Vegetable Preservation, was responsible for administering the FPO. The Directorate had regional offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Guwahati. Field officers from these offices conducted periodic inspections of manufacturing units, checked factory hygiene, and drew random samples from factories and markets for laboratory analysis.

An important advisory mechanism was the Central Fruit Products Advisory Committee, which comprised government officials, technical experts, representatives from research bodies like the Central Food Technology Research Institute, BIS, and consumer organizations. This committee recommended amendments to the FPO to keep it aligned with evolving technologies and market conditions.

Current status 🔗

The FPO was repealed by the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006. Manufacturers who previously held FPO licences were required to apply for FSSAI certification. However, the quality benchmarks originally set by the FPO have been integrated into FSSAI regulations, and the standards continue to serve as important reference points within the broader food safety framework.

The Meat Food Products Order (MFPO), 1973 🔗

The Meat Food Products Order was enacted on 28 March 1973, also under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and came into force on 15 July 1975. Before this order existed, India’s meat production and processing sector operated without standardized oversight, with practices varying widely across regions and facilities.

Key objectives 🔗

The MFPO aimed to regulate the production and sale of meat food products through a licensing system. Its objectives included enforcing sanitary and hygienic conditions in slaughterhouses and processing units, exercising strict quality control at all stages of production, and setting limits for heavy metals, preservatives, and insecticide residues in meat products. The order covered meat from ovines, caprines, swines, bovines, and poultry.

Licensing and inspection 🔗

No person or business could operate as a meat manufacturer without obtaining a licence under the MFPO. The order required four stages of inspection by qualified veterinary doctors to ensure hygienic production. Animals had to undergo pre-slaughter health inspections and post-mortem examination to detect diseases. The order also specified packing, marking, and labelling provisions for containers of meat products.

Advisory and enforcement structure 🔗

The Central Government constituted a Meat Food Products Advisory Committee to guide policy. MFPO officers had the power to enter and inspect premises, collect samples for laboratory analysis, and seize products that violated standards. Non-compliant establishments could face licence suspension or revocation.

Challenges and current status 🔗

Like the FPO, the MFPO was consolidated under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006. Today, meat businesses are governed by FSSAI licensing regulations. Despite comprehensive regulations, a significant portion of India’s fresh meat industry still operates in the unorganised sector, with many slaughterhouses lacking basic facilities like proper water supply, ventilation, and refrigeration.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) 🔗

The Bureau of Indian Standards is India’s national standards body, operating under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. BIS was originally established in 1947 as the Indian Standards Institution (ISI). It was reconstituted as BIS under the BIS Act of 1986, and the current governing law is the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, which came into effect on 12 October 2017.

Role in food standardization 🔗

BIS develops and publishes Indian Standards (IS) for a wide range of food products, including packaged drinking water, milk products, edible oils, cereals, and processed foods. It formulates these standards through 15 specialized division councils covering diverse sectors. In the food domain, BIS has published standards covering more than 450 different food products.

The ISI mark and certification 🔗

The ISI mark – perhaps the most recognized quality symbol in India – is administered by BIS. It certifies that a product conforms to the relevant Indian Standard. For food products, the ISI mark is mandatory for certain items like packaged drinking water, and voluntary for many others. Manufacturers whose products conform to BIS standards are allowed to use the ISI mark on their packaging after passing a thorough certification process that includes factory inspections and product testing.

Voluntary versus mandatory certification 🔗

The BIS certification scheme is primarily voluntary. However, the Central Government has made compliance with Indian Standards mandatory for a number of products in the public interest – covering categories like cement, electrical appliances, LPG cylinders, and certain food items. BIS operates its own network of testing laboratories in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Chandigarh, and Patna.

Beyond food: a broader mandate 🔗

BIS is not limited to food. It also runs a Hallmarking Scheme for gold and silver jewellery, an Eco Mark Scheme for environmentally friendly products, and certification programmes for management systems like ISO 9001. It also represents India in international standardization bodies like the ISO and IEC.

AGMARK: quality grading for agricultural produce 🔗

AGMARK is a certification mark applied to agricultural products in India to assure consumers that these products meet government-approved quality standards. The term was coined by combining “Ag” (for agriculture) and “mark” (for certification mark). It is legally enforced under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act of 1937, which was amended in 1986.

Who administers AGMARK? 🔗

The Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI), headed by the Agricultural Marketing Adviser to the Government of India, is the implementing agency. DMI operates from its headquarters in Faridabad, Haryana, with 11 Regional Offices and 26 Sub-Offices across the country. In addition to the Central AGMARK Laboratory (CAL) in Nagpur, there are Regional AGMARK Laboratories in 11 cities including Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Kanpur, Kochi, and Amritsar.

Products covered 🔗

AGMARK standards currently cover quality guidelines for approximately 224 different commodities. These span a wide variety of categories: pulses, cereals, essential oils, vegetable oils, fruits, vegetables, spices, ghee, butter, honey, wheat atta, suji, maida, besan, and semi-processed products like vermicelli. For each commodity, two to three grades are typically prescribed based on quality parameters such as moisture content, foreign matter, colour, and active components.

Voluntary or mandatory? 🔗

AGMARK certification is primarily voluntary. However, FSSAI regulations have made it mandatory for certain products, including blended edible vegetable oils and fat spreads. There are also conditional restrictions for items like til oil, honey dew, tea, and ghee.

Benefits for farmers and consumers 🔗

For farmers – especially the smallholders who make up over 85% of India’s farming population – AGMARK certification typically translates to better price realization. Certified products command higher market prices because buyers can rely on a standardized quality description rather than subjective assessment. For consumers, the AGMARK label offers assurance that the product meets defined quality and safety benchmarks.

AGMARK standards also increasingly align with international norms set by bodies like the Codex Alimentarius Commission and ISO. DMI’s approval by the European Commission for pre-shipment inspection of certain fruits and vegetables headed to the EU demonstrates how AGMARK supports international trade as well.

How these laws work together 🔗

Each of these five regulatory instruments was designed to address a specific gap in India’s food safety ecosystem. The PFA provided the overarching legal framework against food adulteration. The FPO and MFPO set product-specific standards for fruit/vegetable products and meat products respectively. BIS contributed voluntary and mandatory industrial standards and the widely trusted ISI mark. And AGMARK brought grading and quality certification to agricultural commodities at the farm-to-market level.

Over time, many of these separate laws were consolidated under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, which created FSSAI as a single unified regulatory authority. The PFA, FPO, and MFPO were all formally repealed by the FSSA. However, AGMARK continues to operate independently under its own Act, and BIS functions under the BIS Act of 2016. The standards originally developed under the older laws have largely been incorporated into FSSAI’s regulatory framework, ensuring continuity and building upon the foundation these pioneering regulations laid.

Why understanding these laws still matters 🔗

Even though some of these laws have been repealed or subsumed, studying them remains highly relevant. They represent the evolution of India’s food safety thinking – from fragmented, sector-specific regulations to a consolidated, science-based system. The principles they established – mandatory licensing, periodic inspections, laboratory testing, standardized grading, and consumer protection – continue to form the core of India’s current food regulatory approach.

For food businesses, compliance with BIS and AGMARK standards remains an ongoing requirement. For students and professionals in the food industry, understanding these foundational laws provides critical context for navigating today’s FSSAI-driven regulatory landscape.

What do you think? Given that a significant portion of India’s food processing and meat sectors still operates informally, how effective can any food safety law be without stronger on-ground enforcement? And as India’s food industry grows rapidly, should AGMARK and BIS certification be made mandatory for more product categories?

References

1. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/15399/1/the_prevention_of_food_adulteration_act,_1954.pdf
2. https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/pfa-acts-and-rules.pdf
3. https://foodsafety.delhi.gov.in/dfs/welcome-department-food-safety
4. https://www.india.gov.in/fruit-products-order-1955
5. https://cleartax.in/s/what-is-fpo-mark
6. https://www.bajajfinserv.in/what-is-fpo-mark
7. https://www.informea.org/en/legislation/meat-food-products-order-1973
8. https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/MFPO-1973-Amended-English.pdf
9. https://wiseias.com/meat-food-products-order-mfpo/
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Indian_Standards
11. https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/hsp06/chapter/pfa-and-other-standards/
12. https://www.bis.gov.in/product-certification/products-under-compulsory-certification/?lang=en
13. https://www.khuranaandkhurana.com/2025/04/08/an-overview-of-bureau-of-indian-standards-bis-certification
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agmark
15. https://www.dmi.gov.in/GradesStandard.aspx
16. https://foodregulatory.fssai.gov.in/agmark-certification
17. https://cleartax.in/s/agmark-registration