Integration of AGMARK Standards with PFA Act Regulations

Food safety in India has evolved through a network of regulations designed to protect consumers from adulteration and ensure quality standards. One significant development in this journey was the integration of AGMARK standards with the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, which created a unified approach to certifying specific agricultural commodities. This integration established clear benchmarks for products like ghee, til oil, and Kangra tea, helping consumers make informed choices about the products they purchase.

Understanding the PFA Act and its purpose 🔗

The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act was enacted in 1954 by the Indian Parliament to establish minimum quality standards for all food categories. The Act aimed to protect consumers from adulterated and inferior quality food products that were prevalent in the market. Under PFA regulations, any food item failing to meet the prescribed standards was deemed adulterated and subject to legal action.

The PFA framework addressed several concerns including improper labeling, use of unauthorized additives, contamination during processing, and the presence of substances harmful to health. The Act was enforced by the Directorate General of Health Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the Central Committee for Food Standards (CCFS) advising the government on formulating and revising food standards.

What is AGMARK certification? 🔗

AGMARK, derived from “Agricultural Marketing,” is a quality certification mark for agricultural products established under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act of 1937. The Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI) administers this certification system, which categorizes agricultural commodities into grades such as Special, Good, Fair, and Ordinary based on quality parameters.

The certification process involves multiple stages of inspection and testing. Products undergo preliminary assessment, followed by sample collection by inspecting officers. Qualified technical staff then test samples and assign appropriate quality grades before the commodity receives AGMARK labels. Even after distribution, AGMARK products remain subject to continuous inspection through market check samples analyzed at Regional AGMARK Laboratories.

Products covered under AGMARK 🔗

The DMI has formulated grade standards for over 220 agricultural commodities. These include cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetable oils, spices, honey, butter, ghee, legumes, and eggs. For dairy products specifically, only ghee and creamery butter (table butter or salted butter) fall under AGMARK grading, while other dairy items are covered under BIS standards.

How AGMARK integrated with PFA regulations 🔗

While AGMARK certification was originally voluntary, the PFA Act and later the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 made it mandatory for certain products. This integration served a specific purpose: products that required additional quality verification beyond basic PFA standards would carry the AGMARK seal as proof of compliance with higher benchmarks.

According to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, several products required mandatory AGMARK certification. These provisions were originally adopted from the erstwhile PFA Act and incorporated into the new food safety framework.

Products requiring mandatory AGMARK under the integrated framework 🔗

The regulatory provisions specified several categories where AGMARK certification was compulsory:

Blended edible vegetable oils required mandatory AGMARK certification marks as these products involved mixing different oil types, necessitating quality verification.

Fat spreads fell under mandatory certification requirements under both the Food Products Standards regulations and the Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales Regulations.

Ghee with lower Reichert-Meissl value than specified for the selling area needed AGMARK certification. The Reichert-Meissl value serves as an important parameter for detecting adulteration with substances like palm olein or sheep body fat.

Til oil (sesame oil) produced from white sesame seeds grown in Tripura, Assam, and West Bengal, having different standards than general specifications, required AGMARK labeling for sale.

Kangra tea could only be sold after being graded and marked according to the Agricultural Produce Act provisions, ensuring authenticity of this geographically significant product.

Light black pepper and specialty products like Carbia Callosa and Honey dew also required AGMARK seals on their packaging.

Benefits of the AGMARK-PFA integration 🔗

The integration of AGMARK standards with food safety regulations created several advantages for the Indian food ecosystem.

Consumer protection 🔗

The dual regulatory framework provided consumers with multiple layers of quality assurance. While PFA standards ensured basic safety requirements were met, AGMARK certification indicated products had passed additional quality benchmarks. This was particularly important for commodities susceptible to adulteration such as vegetable oils, ghee, butter, honey, and ground spices.

Market transparency 🔗

Standardized grading helped establish what the AGMARK system calls a “common trade language” for describing product quality. Buyers and sellers across the country could rely on consistent quality indicators without requiring physical inspection at every transaction point.

Producer credibility 🔗

For manufacturers and producers, AGMARK certification provided third-party verification of quality. This was especially valuable for export-oriented businesses, as grading helped Indian agricultural products meet international standards and gain acceptance in foreign markets.

The transition to FSSAI and recent changes 🔗

The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 consolidated various food laws including the PFA Act under a single regulatory framework administered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The FSS Act came into force in August 2011, bringing fundamental changes to food regulation in India.

Under this transition, mandatory AGMARK certification requirements were initially retained from the PFA framework. However, recognizing that food businesses had to deal with multiple certification authorities-which contradicted the unified approach intended by the FSS Act-FSSAI has progressively reviewed these requirements.

Streamlining certification requirements 🔗

Recent amendments have removed mandatory AGMARK certification for several products including Carbia Callosa, Honey dew, til oil from specific regions, and Kangra tea. Similarly, certain mandatory BIS certification requirements for products like infant nutrition foods and packaged drinking water have been simplified.

These changes aim to reduce compliance burdens on food businesses while maintaining safety standards through the comprehensive FSSAI licensing system. The FSSAI license now serves as the primary certification requirement, streamlining the regulatory process.

Current status and ongoing relevance 🔗

Despite regulatory streamlining, AGMARK certification remains valuable as a voluntary quality mark. Products like blended edible vegetable oils and fat spreads continue under mandatory certification requirements. For other products, manufacturers can still obtain AGMARK certification to demonstrate commitment to superior quality standards.

The Directorate of Marketing and Inspection continues operating through 11 Regional Offices, 26 Sub Offices, and 11 Regional AGMARK Laboratories along with the Central AGMARK Laboratory at Nagpur. Nine of these twelve laboratories hold accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories under ISO 17025 standards.

Practical implications for stakeholders 🔗

For consumers, understanding the AGMARK-PFA integration helps in making informed purchasing decisions. Products carrying both FSSAI registration and AGMARK certification have undergone dual verification, offering additional quality assurance.

For food businesses, the evolving regulatory landscape requires staying updated on which products need mandatory certifications versus voluntary ones. While FSSAI licensing is now the primary requirement, obtaining AGMARK certification for eligible products can provide competitive advantages and build consumer trust.

For policymakers and regulators, the AGMARK-PFA integration experience offers lessons in balancing consumer protection with business facilitation. The gradual rationalization of overlapping requirements reflects an effort to create a more efficient food safety ecosystem without compromising quality standards.

What do you think? How do you verify the quality of agricultural products before purchasing them? Do certification marks like AGMARK influence your buying decisions, or do you rely on other factors to assess product quality?

References

1. https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/hsp06/chapter/pfa-and-other-standards/
2. http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/view.php?id=90098
3. https://www.setindiabiz.com/blog/agmark-certification
4. http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/view.php?id=3857
5. https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Notice_Comments_Mandatory_AGMARK_Certification_16_01_2018(1).pdf
6. https://foodsafetyhelpline.com/fssai-gazette-notification-on-removal-of-mandatory-certification-of-agmark-for-certain-food-products/
7. https://dmi.gov.in/GradesStandard.aspx