New Delhi, May 22 -- The Centre is planning a regulatory overhaul to centralize states' role in food surveillance sampling under the country's apex food regulator-the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), according to two government officials familiar with the matter and a document reviewed by Mint.

Currently, state-level food safety officers (FSOs) handle both surveillance sampling (for routine testing) and enforcement sampling (for legal enforcement).

According to the officials cited above, who spoke on condition of anonymity, this creates scope for discretionary targeting of businesses. They added that the two roles will now likely be split up between the FSSAI and the FSOs.

The move is aimed at addressing implementation ...