EP-443 | FSSAI CEO Rajit Punhani on Fake Paneer, Edible Oil, Misleading Labels & Quick Commerce

IAS Rajit Punhani is the CEO of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the organisation responsible for setting food-safety standards and regulating the country’s food industry.In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Punhani explains what the FSSAI mark on a product actually means and why it does not mean that every product has been tested or certified by the regulator.He addresses concerns surrounding fake paneer, misleading food labels, excessive sugar in packaged drinks and baby food, palm oil, synthetic colours, protein supplements and ultra-processed food.Timestamps0:00 – Introduction1:29 – What FSSAI Logo Means8:31 – Misleading Food Labels14:14 – Drinks in Europe vs India20:57 – Palm Oil Reality25:27 – Sugar in Baby Food30:04 – Indian Thali32:54 – Nutrition Labels37:05 – ‘Zero Sugar’ Meaning39:36 – Food Industry Lobbying42:54 – Fake Paneer and Food Adulteration50:08 – Quick-Commerce Apps53:58 – Dark Stores and Cloud Kitchens58:17 – Street Food and Reused Cooking Oil1:00:27 – Shortage of Food Safety Officers1:04:16 – Food Recalls and Unsafe Products1:08:10 – Protein Supplements1:10:43 – Ultra-Processed Food1:14:06 – Synthetic Colours in Food1:16:53 – How Consumers Can File a Complaint1:21:10 – Conclusion