The FSSAI has formally reconstituted its top-tier Scientific Committee alongside 21 specialised Scientific Panels, with a formal order setting a new three-year tenure for the incoming expert bodies effective immediately.
The reconstituted Scientific Committee brings together six independent scientific experts and the elected Chairpersons of all 21 specialised panels. Its brief: furnishing scientific opinions and risk assessments to the regulator, with proceedings governed by the FSSAI Regulations, 2016.
The six independent appointees are Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra (Chairman, PPFVFRA, and former Secretary, DARE & Director-General, ICAR), Dr. Bharati Kulkarni (Director, ICMR-NIN, Hyderabad), Dr. C. Anandharamakrishnan (Director, NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram), Dr. Kiran Bhilegaonkar (Regional Centre In-charge, ICAR-IVRI, Pune), Dr. Pranjib Kumar Chakrabarty (former Member, ASRB), and Dr. Annu Appiah (retired Chief Scientist, CSIR-CFTRI).
With the 21 Scientific Panels now reconstituted, members of each panel have elected their respective Chairpersons, who take up seats on the apex committee by virtue of that role. The Scientific Committee itself will select its chairman from among its members.
The 21 panels span the regulator’s full technical remit: Food Additives, Flavourings and Processing Aids (SP-01); Pesticide Residues (SP-02); Antibiotic Residues (SP-03); Genetically Modified Organisms and Foods (SP-04); Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, Dietetic Products and Other Similar Products (SP-05); Biological Hazards (SP-06); Contaminants in the Food Chain (SP-07); Labelling and Claims/Advertisements (SP-08); Method of Sampling and Analysis (SP-09); Fish and Fisheries Products (SP-10); Cereals, Pulses & Legumes and Their Products, including Bakery (SP-11); Fruits & Vegetables and Their Products, including Dried Fruits and Nuts (SP-12); Meat & Meat Products, including Poultry (SP-13); Milk & Milk Products (SP-14); Oils & Fats (SP-15); Sweets, Confectionery, Sweeteners, Sugar & Honey (SP-16); Water, including Flavoured Water, & Beverages, non-alcoholic (SP-17); Nutrition and Fortification (SP-18); Spices and Culinary Herbs (SP-19); Packaging (SP-20); and Alcoholic Beverages (SP-21).