Step 1: Understanding the Problem:
The question asks for the number of existing older food laws that were consolidated to form the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) of 2006 in India.
The enactment of FSSA 2006 was a landmark decision in India's legislative history, aimed at bringing all food-safety-related issues under a single, unified governing body.
Before this act, food regulations were highly fragmented and managed by multiple ministries, leading to administrative confusion and poor enforcement.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
The approach involves reviewing the historical context of food legislation in India leading up to the passage of the FSSA 2006.
This act repealed and consolidated various food-related laws, orders, and acts under the administrative control of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
The consolidation process integrated eight specific existing central acts and orders, which are detailed below:
• Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954: This was the primary act dealing with food safety and adulteration for over five decades before being repealed.
• Fruit Products Order, 1955 (FPO): This order regulated the manufacture, quality, and distribution of fruit and vegetable products in India.
• Meat Food Products Order, 1973 (MFPO): This order controlled the sanitary conditions and quality standards of meat products.
• Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947: It established the standards for vegetable oil and vanaspati production.
• Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order, 1998: This mandate regulated the packaging of edible oils to ensure consumer hygiene and prevent tampering.
• Solvent Extracted Oil, De-oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967: This order governed the extraction processes and quality of solvent-extracted oils and edible flours.
• Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992 (MMPO): This order regulated the production, collection, and distribution of milk and dairy products.
• Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (Food-related executive orders): Any other orders under this act relating to food control were consolidated to form a single regulatory pathway.
By merging these 8 disparate laws into a single, comprehensive act, the Government of India established a single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards, transforming the system from multi-level, multi-departmental control to a single line of command.
Step 4: Final Answer:
Therefore, the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) of 2006 consolidated exactly 8 existing laws.