Indian food standards: voluntary and obligatory
Obligatory standards are compulsory by law (PFA, FPO, MMPO, now the FSS Act). Voluntary standards such as AGMARK and BIS (ISI) are chosen by the producer.
Voluntary vs obligatory standards
FSSAI can make a voluntary mark compulsory for a product. For example, it long required BIS certification for packaged drinking water and AGMARK for blended edible vegetable oil; such lists change, so check the current FSSAI rules.
Obligatory standards (now merged into the FSS Act)
| Law or order | Year | Main points |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act and Rules | 1954 (Rules 1955) | The main national law against adulteration; defined adulterated and misbranded food; laid down standards for many foods; set up the Central Committee for Food Standards and Central Food Laboratories; food inspectors and public analysts enforced it; punishment for selling adulterated food |
| Fruit Products Order (FPO) | 1955 | Issued under the Essential Commodities Act; licence compulsory for makers of fruit and vegetable products (jams, squashes, pickles, sauces, canned fruit); minimum fruit content, limits for preservatives, factory hygiene; FPO licence number on the label |
| Meat Food Products Order (MFPO) | 1973 | Licence and hygiene rules for makers of meat products; standards for meat products |
| Milk and Milk Products Order (MMPO) | 1992 | Issued under the Essential Commodities Act; registration of dairy plants above a set handling capacity; sanitary conditions and quality of milk and milk products |
| Edible oil orders | Various | Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order (vanaspati); Solvent Extracted Oils, De-oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order; Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order (edible oil to be sold packed, not loose) |
| Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act | 2006 (Regulations in force 2011) | Replaced all of the above; FSSAI sets science-based standards for all foods, additives and contaminants; registration and licensing; hygiene (Schedule 4); labelling |
| Also compulsory: Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules | 2011 | A separate law for all packed goods: net quantity, MRP, maker's name and address on the pack |
Voluntary standards and marks
| Mark | Law and agency | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| AGMARK | Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937; Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI), Ministry of Agriculture | Grade standards for farm and allied produce: pulses, cereals, spices, ghee, honey, butter, vegetable oils, wheat atta. The mark shows grade and purity. |
| ISI mark | Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). BIS was set up under the BIS Act 1986, now replaced by the BIS Act 2016; it took over from the Indian Standards Institution (ISI) | Indian Standards (IS) for processed foods, food additives, packaged water and kitchen equipment such as pressure cookers |
| Ecomark | Ministry of Environment scheme, linked to BIS certification | Products that are kinder to the environment, including some foods |
Why the obligatory laws were merged into the FSS Act
- Too many laws (PFA, FPO, MFPO, MMPO, oil orders) under different ministries.
- Different standards for the same food under different laws, which confused industry.
- Many licences and many inspectors for one food business.
- Standards were not always science-based and were slow to update.
- No single point of reference for consumers, industry or trade partners.
- The FSS Act 2006 gave one law and one regulator (FSSAI), with science-based standards, risk analysis and graded penalties. The voluntary marks (AGMARK, ISI) continue alongside it.
When buying for a hospital or hostel kitchen, check the FSSAI licence or registration number on every pack, and prefer AGMARK ghee, honey and spices or ISI-marked products where they exist: the mark is an extra check on purity.
2 marks: “What is AGMARK?” A voluntary grade and quality mark for agricultural produce, given under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act 1937 by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection.
5 marks: “Differentiate voluntary and obligatory food standards with examples.” Definition; who sets them; compulsion; minimum vs often stricter; enforcement vs certification; examples: PFA, FPO, MMPO vs AGMARK, BIS; FSSAI may make some marks compulsory.
10 marks: “Explain the voluntary and obligatory food standards in India.” Define both; table of obligatory laws (PFA, FPO, MFPO, MMPO, oil orders) with their main points; why they were merged into the FSS Act; voluntary marks (AGMARK, ISI, Ecomark); difference table; close.
Obligatory = O for Order of law (PFA, FPO, MMPO → FSS Act). Voluntary = V for Value-added mark (AGMARK, ISI). Years in order: PFA 54, FPO 55, MFPO 73, MMPO 92, FSS 2006.