Pawan Kumar Agarwal appointed CEO, FSSAI

Senior IAS officer Pawan Kumar Agarwal was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of food regulator FSSAI, as part of senior level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the government on Tuesday.

As many as 12 Additional Secretaries, including Agarwal, have been appointed in various central government departments. 

Agrawal, a 1985 batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre, is presently Joint Secretary in Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. He has been appointed as CEO, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in place of Yudhvir Singh Malik, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training said.

Malik, who is believed to be the man behind the ban on global giant Nestle’s popular noodle brand Maggi (which has now been removed), was shifted as Additional Secretary in Niti Aayog in September this year. FSSAI Chairman Ashish Bahuguna was holding the additional charge of FSSAI CEO.

Meanwhile, FSSAI has set up nine new panels for expediting work relating to strengthen the food regulatory mechanism in the country, the government said in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also notified 12 referral laboratories and 82 National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited private laboratories, Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare Shripad Yesso Naik said. 

In addition, there are 72 State and Public food laboratories to test food samples.