EP-443 | FSSAI CEO Rajit Punhani on Fake Paneer, Edible Oil, Misleading Labels & Quick Commerce

<p><strong>IAS Rajit Punhani is the CEO of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the organisation responsible for setting food-safety standards and regulating the country’s food industry.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Punhani explains what the FSSAI mark on a product actually means and why it does not mean that every product has been tested or certified by the regulator.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>He addresses concerns surrounding fake paneer, misleading food labels, excessive sugar in packaged drinks and baby food, palm oil, synthetic colours, protein supplements and ultra-processed food.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Timestamps</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>0:00 – Introduction</strong></p><p><strong>1:29 – What FSSAI Logo Means</strong></p><p><strong>8:31 – Misleading Food Labels</strong></p><p><strong>14:14 – Drinks in Europe vs India</strong></p><p><strong>20:57 – Palm Oil Reality</strong></p><p><strong>25:27 – Sugar in Baby Food</strong></p><p><strong>30:04 – Indian Thali</strong></p><p><strong>32:54 – Nutrition Labels</strong></p><p><strong>37:05 – ‘Zero Sugar’ Meaning</strong></p><p><strong>39:36 – Food Industry Lobbying</strong></p><p><strong>42:54 – Fake Paneer and Food Adulteration</strong></p><p><strong>50:08 – Quick-Commerce Apps</strong></p><p><strong>53:58 – Dark Stores and Cloud Kitchens</strong></p><p><strong>58:17 – Street Food and Reused Cooking Oil</strong></p><p><strong>1:00:27 – Shortage of Food Safety Officers</strong></p><p><strong>1:04:16 – Food Recalls and Unsafe Products</strong></p><p><strong>1:08:10 – Protein Supplements</strong></p><p><strong>1:10:43 – Ultra-Processed Food</strong></p><p><strong>1:14:06 – Synthetic Colours in Food</strong></p><p><strong>1:16:53 – How Consumers Can File a Complaint</strong></p><p><strong>1:21:10 – Conclusion</strong></p>