Thiruvananthapuram | The recent death of two people after allegedly suffering food poisoning at a hotel in Vizhinjam near the Kerala capital, has raised questions over the adequacy of administrative measures and staffing in the food safety department to ensure consumer safety.
Taking serious note of the incident, the state government has decided to appoint more Food Safety Officers (FSOs) in the Food Safety Department very soon, officials said.
The government move has also brought a ray of hope to the 152 candidates included in the Public Service Commission (PSC) rank list for appointment.
Officials said the Food Safety Commissioner will be sending a fresh proposal for the appointment of 42 more FSOs from the existing rank list. The proposal will be submitted to the Health Ministry on February 23.
Kerala Food Safety Commissioner Afsana Perween told PTI that the proposal would include all vacancies in the department, including the 42 FSO posts, and that the related work study report is in its final stages.
"We will submit the proposal on Monday as directed by the government. We will be proposing to fill the remaining 42 posts of FSOs," Perween said.
She said a work study report prepared by the Department of Administrative Reforms had recommended the appointment of 52 new FSOs, among other posts. In the first phase, the government had approved only 10 of these posts, while asking the Food Safety Commissionerate to submit proposals in a phased manner.
Perween said the department took time to prepare the proposal as it wanted to include other vacancies in addition to the FSO posts.
The severe shortage of FSOs in the state came into sharp focus following the deaths of two people after consuming food at a restaurant in Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram recently. Kerala has over five lakh registered food preparation units, but only around 170 FSOs to carry out mandatory inspections.
In a letter dated May 26, 2025, Chief Executive Officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), G Kamala Vardhana Rao, directed the state government to immediately create new FSO posts, citing the acute shortage in Kerala.
As per FSSAI guidelines, every state should have one FSO for every 1,000 food preparation units. In Kerala, there is currently only one FSO for 4,000 to 10,000 units.
"We have submitted several representations to the government and the Food Safety Commissionerate, but the decision has been delayed. The state government will not face a financial burden from these appointments, as the department can generate more revenue through licensing and better enforcement," Karthika Unni V, president of the Food Safety Officer Rank Holders Association, Kerala, told PTI.
Due to the shortage, many mandatory pre-approval inspections for high-risk food businesses are not being conducted. Although restaurants also fall under the high-risk category, pre-approval inspections by FSOs are largely absent.
"This is why we have been demanding a zonal system, so that one officer is available round the clock for emergency inspections and grievance redressal. Most eateries operate after 5 pm, but our official working hours end at 5 pm," a food safety officer, who did not wish to be named, told PTI.
He said that while many FSOs do conduct inspections after 5 pm, officers cannot routinely be required to work beyond official duty hours.
He added that the FSO inspection manual mandates checks across nearly 50 parameters to ensure hygiene and safety in food production units, and with the current staff strength, such detailed audits are not feasible on a large scale.
Under existing norms, each food production unit must be inspected at least once a year, which translates into a minimum of five lakh inspections annually in Kerala. However, data from the Food Safety Compliance System website show that only 73,571 inspections were conducted in the state during 2024–25.
Even these figures do not present a complete picture, the officer said, noting that with the current field strength of around 152 FSOs out of a sanctioned 170, such numbers would not have been possible if inspection protocols were followed strictly.
As per FSSAI norms, one officer can conduct only two food audits a day to ensure error-free compliance.
The officer said many new entrepreneurs entering the food business are unaware of mandatory norms, and it often takes more than an hour for an FSO to educate them on compliance requirements.
Another major concern is the shortage of Designated Officers (DOs), who supervise FSOs.
"Even when serious non-compliance is detected, licence cancellations are not happening due to the shortage of Designated Officers, as they are required to hear the vendor, grant an improvement period and take a final decision. At present, only about 17 per cent of the required strength is available as DOs. It should be at least 20 per cent," the officer added.
FSOs and rank holders hope the government will clear the proposal for appointing 42 new FSOs and issue advice memos before the election schedule is announced.
