Chapter II - Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
Section 14
Section 14: Scientific Committee
The Scientific Committee coordinates the Panels and provides scientific opinions to the Food Authority.
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Statutory text
Bare law
(1) The Food Authority shall constitute Scientific Committee which shall consist of the Chairpersons of the Scientific Panels and six independent scientific experts not belonging or affiliated to any of the Scientific Panels.
(2) The Scientific Committee shall be responsible for providing the scientific opinions to the Food Authority, and shall have the powers, where necessary, of organising public hearings.
(3) The Scientific Committee shall be responsible for the general co-ordination necessary to ensure consistency of the scientific opinion procedure and in particular with regard to the adoption of working procedures and harmonisation of working methods of the Scientific Panels.
(4) The Scientific Committee shall provide opinions on multi-sectoral issues falling within the competence of more than one Scientific Panel, and on issues which do not fall within the competence of any of the Scientific Panels.
(5) Wherever necessary, and particularly, in the case of subjects which do not fall within the competence of any of the Scientific Panel, the Scientific Committee shall set up working groups and in such cases, it shall draw on the expertise of those working groups when establishing scientific opinions.
Key takeaways
Core rule
The Scientific Committee coordinates the Panels and provides scientific opinions to the Food Authority.
Practical check
Trace whether a question belongs to one Panel, multiple Panels or no Panel: the Committee takes multi-sectoral and unassigned issues.
Scope and operation
It consists of Panel Chairpersons and six independent experts who are not affiliated with a Panel. It can organise public hearings when necessary and form working groups for cross-cutting or unassigned subjects.
Applying the section
Trace whether a question belongs to one Panel, multiple Panels or no Panel: the Committee takes multi-sectoral and unassigned issues.
Official sources
Read the consolidated Act with the enacted and commenced amendments applicable to this section.
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Contact BizeneedLast updated 10 October 2026