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FSSAI to overhaul education and experience criteria for food safety auditors
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Monday, 08 June, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is set to overhaul its criteria for food safety auditors. In a newly released draft amendment, the regulatory body outlines stricter educational prerequisites, explicit certification mandates, and practical hands-on experience goals for professionals looking to audit food businesses in the country.
The draft rules introduce an exhaustive, specific list of 39 approved academic disciplines. To qualify as a food safety auditor, candidates must hold a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate degree from a recognised university in one of these fields.
The extensive list explicitly covers specialised sectors to ensure comprehensive technical oversight across the supply chain. These include disciplines from Food Science, Engineering & Biotechnology, Agricultural & Allied Sciences, and Pure Sciences & Health—such as Chemistry, Bio-Chemistry, Microbiology, Toxicology, Medicine, and Public Health.
Further, in a move to align Indian food auditing practices with international standards, the new amendment explicitly substitutes the older clause to mandate the "Successful completion of Accredited Lead Auditor course in Food Safety Management System (ISO 22000)."
This ensures that all recognised auditors possess uniform knowledge of global hazard analysis, critical control points (HACCP), and organisational food safety management.
Additionally, getting a degree and a certificate won't be enough to enter the field under the new guidelines, as the FSSAI is setting a strict practical threshold to ensure auditors have real-world field experience.
The amended regulations set a minimum of two years of work experience within the food sector or industry, as well as proof of a minimum of 10 completed audits, which can include both internal and third-party audits.
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