Hyderabad, July 2 -- By Anandini Gupta and A. L. Gayathri

According to the World Health Organization, unsafe food causes 100,000+ deaths annually in India (WHO Food Safety, 2024). India faces a persistent food safety challenge, from expired ingredients, contaminated milk, and adulterated spices to unhygienic cooking conditions, and substandard practices in cloud kitchens which continue to pose health risks. Shri Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, revealed that in 2023 alone, nearly 20% of food samples across the country were found to be adulterated.

India's food safety architecture appears comprehensive-but enforcement remains its biggest challenge. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (...