Food Safety on wheels - FSSAI’s Mobile Vans

Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) is a mobile food testing lab, operated under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). It ensures safe and hygienic food across India. These mobile labs detect adulteration, educate consumers, and train street vendors on food safety. They provide quick on-the-spot testing, promote hygiene, and support small businesses. FSW strengthens food safety awareness and improves food quality nationwide by reaching remote areas. In this comprehensive guide we have discussed all you need to know about Food Safety on Wheels.

Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) Overview

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established in 2008 under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. This ensures safe and wholesome food for human consumption. The Act became operational on August 5, 2011. As per the Food safety and Standards regulation, FSSAI has approved 79 Rapid Analytical Food Testing (RAFT) Kits to speed up screening, surveillance, and monitoring of food products. It also publish 17 Manuals on Food Analysis, 2 General Guidelines on Sampling, and 15 Analytical Methods to Fortified Foods. Food Business Operators must comply with Good Manufacturing and Good Hygienic Practices. Any violation results in disciplinary action under the FSS Act, 2006.

It conducts surveillance, inspections, and random sampling of food products through State/UTs and Regional Offices to ensure compliance with safety standards and penal actions are taken against non-compliant Food Business Operators (FBOs) as per the FSS Act, 2006. FSSAI has notified 243 Primary Laboratories and 22 Referral Laboratories for food testing. Additionally, 285 Mobile Food Testing Laboratories (MFTLs) operate across 35 States/UTs. These mobile units equipped with basic on-the-spot adulteration testing infrastructure, strengthen food safety monitoring at the field level.

History of Food Safety on Wheels

The Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) initiative was launched by FSSAI in 2017 to enhance food safety and hygiene across India. These mobile food testing units are designed to conduct on-the-spot food tests, raise awareness, and provide training on hygiene and safety practices.

Since its launch, the program has expanded significantly. By March 31, 2022, FSSAI had deployed 155 mobile units across 33 States and Union Territories. Each unit, costing around ?30 lakh, is equipped for food testing and is supported by a recurring grant for operational expenses.

In October 2024, FSSAI extended the reach of FSW to high-altitude areas like Nubra Valley, conducting food safety awareness drives in remote regions. This expansion ensures that even the most isolated communities benefit from food safety regulations.

With continuous growth and updates, FSW plays a vital role in strengthening food safety across India, ensuring that safe and hygienic food practices reach all parts of the country.

Key Features of Food Safety on Wheels (FSW)

• Mobile Food Testing Facility

Food Safety on Wheels is a fully-equipped mobile laboratory that helps test food items for quality and adulteration. The van is fitted with rapid testing kits and mini-laboratory equipment that can instantly detect food contamination. It can check food products like:

• Milk – Identifies adulterants like detergent, starch, and formalin.
• Oil – Tests for artificial colors, cheap substitutes, and harmful chemicals.
• Spices – Detects the presence of lead, artificial colors, heavy metals, and other harmful substances.
• Sweets & Packaged Foods – Checks for synthetic food colors, non-permitted preservatives, wrong preservative with specific food, and mislabeling.

•  Vast Food Testing Network

FSW operate with the Indian Food Laboratory Network (InFoLNet). This is a centralized system that links all food testing labs across the country. This network helps improve food standards, enhances risk analysis, and ensures better monitoring of food products. The in charge of field unit collects the samples and send to the FSSAI-notified labs to test them, thereby it provide solutions to the defects in the foods.

• DART – Rapid Adulteration Detection

FSW labs use a simple yet effective tool called DART (Detecting Adulterants with Rapid Testing), it quickly identifies contaminated or adulterated food. This tool is beneficial for food business operators and consumers to detect unsafe ingredients. This enables FSW to identify the presence of food contaminants. It proves DART as an effective tool for Food Business Operators and a ready-home guide for consumers that helps prevent adulteration.

• Training & Certification for Food Handlers

FSW conducts specialized training programs for food vendors, restaurant staff, and small business owners. These sessions focus on proper hygiene, food storage, and contamination prevention. Participants also receive certifications from FSSAI, ensuring they meet food safety standards.

• State-Wide Deployment

Each state and union territory in India has been allocated at least one mobile testing unit to strengthen food safety enforcement. States such as Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland have already received these units.

• Strengthening State Food Labs

FSSAI operate with 45 State Food Testing Labs (SFTLs) by providing advanced equipment, including microbiology labs, to improve food testing efficiency and accuracy. This ensures a more robust food safety system across India.

• Support for Small Food Businesses and Street Vendors

Food Safety on Wheels helps small food vendors, roadside stalls, and local businesses maintain hygiene and food safety. It provides guidance on proper food handling and storage, along with awareness about hygiene practices like wearing gloves, using clean water, and keeping utensils clean. Vendors also receive information on registering with FSSAI and following food safety rules. This is especially useful for street food vendors who do not have regular access to food safety training. By learning to keep their food safe, they can gain customer trust and grow their business.

• Consumer Awareness and Training

One of the main goals of FSW is to educate people about food safety through awareness campaigns and training sessions conducted in schools, markets, and food stalls. It teaches how to detect food adulteration, additives, mycotoxins, heavy metals, adulteration, choose fresh and hygienic food, and store food properly to prevent contamination. It also explains the importance of checking FSSAI licenses on packaged foods. FSW helps people make safer food choices and avoid harmful products by spreading awareness.

• Trained Food Analysts for Better Monitoring

FSSAI has introduced a Junior Analyst Examination to strengthen India’s food safety ecosystem alongside the Food Analyst Examination. These experts play an important role to analyze food samples and ensure compliance with safety regulations.

• Promotion of Eat Right India Initiative

Food Safety on Wheels is part of FSSAI’s Eat Right India movement, which promotes nutritious, chemical-free food, reduces junk food consumption, and encourages clean and safe eating habits. It also highlights the importance of a balanced diet for a healthier lifestyle. By spreading awareness and reducing food adulteration, FSW helps improve public health in India. The mobile labs visit markets, festivals, schools, and rural areas to test food samples on-site, ensuring safer food for everyone.

• Spot Surveillance and Food Safety Compliance

FSW acts as a mobile surveillance unit that helps food safety officers and health inspectors conduct on-the-spot food quality checks. It is used to inspect food businesses for compliance with FSSAI guidelines, collect samples of suspicious food products for further testing, and detect fake or misbranded products that do not meet safety standards. This ensures that food businesses follow strict safety regulations, making food safer for everyone.

How Do Common People Get Benefits?

Food Safety on Wheels (FSW) is an essential initiative by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that ensures food quality and hygiene across India, especially in rural and underserved areas. This mobile food testing lab plays a crucial role in safeguarding public health, educating consumers, and improving food business practices. Below are the key reasons why FSSAI’s Food Safety on Wheels is important:

• Ensures Food Safety and Quality

Food Safety on Wheels helps ensure food safety and quality by detecting harmful chemicals, artificial colors, and preservatives in food. It prevents the sale of adulterated milk, oil, spices, and sweets while identifying and removing unsafe food items from markets and food stalls. By conducting on-the-spot testing, FSW ensures that only safe and high-quality food reaches consumers, protecting public health from contamination and foodborne illnesses.

• Helps Reduce Food Adulteration

Food adulteration is a major problem in India day by day it is risking the health of millions. Harmful substances like chemical dyes, pesticides, and low-quality substitutes are often added to food for profit. FSW helps by quickly identifying adulterated food through mobile testing, educating vendors and suppliers about the legal consequences of selling unsafe food, and raising awareness among consumers to avoid such products. By discouraging food adulteration, FSW protects people from serious health risks like food poisoning, kidney diseases, and even cancer.

• Promotes Hygiene among Food Vendors

Many street food vendors and small food businesses lack proper knowledge of hygiene and sanitation, leading to foodborne illnesses. FSW provides training on food safety practices like handwashing, clean storage, and proper cooking methods. It also guides vendors on maintaining clean stalls, using fresh ingredients, and preventing cross-contamination. Additionally, FSW helps vendors obtain FSSAI registration, allowing them to run a legal and hygienic business. This improves the overall quality of street food and builds consumer trust in local vendors.

• Provides Easy Access to Food Testing

In many areas food testing labs are far from markets, making it hard for small vendors and consumers to check food quality. FSW solves this by bringing food testing services directly to villages, markets, schools, and street food hubs. It provides on-the-spot testing results for common food adulterants and makes food testing affordable and accessible to the public. This ensures that even people in remote areas can benefit from food safety regulations.

• Supports Government’s Food Safety Initiatives

The Indian government has launched various programs to improve food safety and hygiene, such as the Eat Right India Movement, which promotes healthy eating, the Clean Street Food Hub Initiative, which encourages cleanliness among street vendors, and the Safe and Nutritious Food Campaign, which spreads awareness about nutrition. FSW plays a key role in implementing these programs by conducting awareness drives and training workshops across India, ensuring better food safety for everyone.

• Helps in Law Enforcement & Food Surveillance

FSW acts as a mobile surveillance unit for food safety authorities by inspecting food businesses for compliance with FSSAI regulations, identifying and taking action against illegal or unsafe food practices, and collecting evidence for legal action against violators. This ensures that food manufacturers and sellers follow strict safety standards and do not sell contaminated food, protecting public health.

• Empowers Consumers to Make Better Choices

Many people do not know how to check if their food is safe. FSW educates consumers on simple home tests to detect adulteration, the importance of buying FSSAI-certified products, and reading food labels for ingredients and expiry dates. With better awareness, consumers can make informed choices and avoid unsafe food products.

• Reduces the Risk of Foodborne Diseases

Contaminated food can cause food poisoning, diarrhea, stomach infections, and long-term health issues. FSW helps prevent these diseases by identifying spoiled, contaminated, or chemically-treated food, encouraging food businesses to follow hygienic food preparation methods, and educating the public on safe food handling and storage. By reducing food-related illnesses, FSW contributes to better public health and safety.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Food Safety on Wheels is a crucial initiative ensuring food safety, hygiene, and public awareness across India. It provides on-the-spot food testing, educates consumers, and supports small vendors in maintaining hygiene. By reaching remote areas, it makes food testing accessible to all. It also strengthens regulations, prevents unsafe food sales, and promotes healthy eating. With its efforts, people can trust the food they consume, leading to better public health.

If you want to register FSSAI for your food business, you can contact Online Legal India. They have experts to assist you in filing FSSAI registration/license.