UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Rise in food poisoning cases highlights lapses in food safety

Q1. Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the term 'Designated Officer' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. An officer, not below the rank of a Sub-Divisional Officer, appointed by the Commissioner of Food Safety for each district to grant, suspend or cancel food licences
  • B. The presiding officer of the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal in a State
  • C. The official who chairs the Central Advisory Committee of the Food Authority
  • D. A scientist nominated to head a Scientific Panel of FSSAI

Q2. The State Food Safety Index (SFSI) released annually by FSSAI is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. An annual benchmarking ranking of States/UTs on food-safety performance across five weighted parameters
  • B. A price index tracking the retail cost of essential food articles across States
  • C. A star-rating awarded to individual food business operators based on hygiene
  • D. A WHO index ranking countries on overall food security and nutrition

Q3. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which administers the FSS Act, 2006 that replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, functions under which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • B. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
  • C. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
  • D. Ministry of Food Processing Industries

Q4. Official annual statistics on the number of deaths due to food poisoning in India are primarily published in which one of the following reports?

  • A. Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India (ADSI), NCRB
  • B. Crime in India, NCRB
  • C. National Family Health Survey, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • D. Sample Registration System Bulletin, Registrar General of India

Q5. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, whose standards FSSAI seeks to harmonise Indian food standards with, was established jointly under the authority of which two organisations?

  • A. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO)
  • B. World Trade Organization (WTO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • C. World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • D. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

Q6. Under the FSS Act, 2006, the ground-level enforcement of food safety — including the appointment of Food Safety Officers and Designated Officers — is primarily the responsibility of which one of the following?

  • A. State/UT governments, acting through the Commissioner of Food Safety
  • B. FSSAI's central headquarters directly, through its regional offices
  • C. The Central Advisory Committee of the Food Authority
  • D. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

Q7. Under FSSAI's Hygiene Rating Scheme for restaurants, sweet/meat shops and catering establishments, a participating food establishment is awarded a consolidated star rating on a scale of how many stars?

  • A. 1 to 5 stars
  • B. 1 to 3 stars
  • C. 1 to 7 stars
  • D. 1 to 10 stars
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