On 27 March 2025, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) conducted an in-house training session on the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and its relevance to food safety, for approximately 50 of its technical officials.

Dr Alka Rao, Advisor, Science and Standards and Regulations, who serves as both the SPS Enquiry Point of India for food safety and the Codex Contact Point for India, underscored the significance of the WTO SPS Agreement and that of Codex standards in the broader context of global food safety.

She remarked, “It is crucial for emerging food regulators to build technical expertise in the SPS Agreement, recognizing the importance of Codex standards and in analysing food safety trade policies, as these have the potential to impact our domestic standards, regulations, imports, and exports.”

The session aimed to deepen the participants' understanding of the Agreement's relevance to food safety, covering essential topics such as harmonization, equivalence, risk assessment, and transparency. Additionally, the participants were trained on the e-ping platform for notifications, the SPS Committee, specific trade concerns (STCs), and the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF).

A particular focus was placed on the importance of Codex standards, such as maximum residue limits (MRLs), and their role in addressing STCs during WTO SPS Committee discussions. Crucially, the session highlighted the co-dependent relationship between Codex standards and the WTO SPS Agreement. The SPS Agreement references Codex standards as benchmark standards for food, demonstrating that these are not separate entities but, rather, intrinsically linked. This interrelationship underscores the necessity of understanding both frameworks synergistically to navigate global food trade effectively.

By providing officials with a comprehensive understanding of the SPS Agreement, FSSAI aimed to enhance regulatory and legal knowledge concerning the WTO SPS Agreement, the importance of global Codex standards, and to cultivate expertise in trade and policy analysis. This included understanding the impact of the SPS provisions on domestic standards, regulations, imports, and the influence of other countries' SPS measures on Indian exports and trade barriers. Ultimately, the training sought to strengthen compliance with international food safety norms and facilitate smoother trade operations.

Senior officials from FSSAI, Dr Amit Sharma, Director, Science and Standards, and Shri P. Karthikeyan, Joint Director, Science and Standards, also addressed the participants.

Sakshee Pipliyal, Assistant Director, Technical, an awardee of the WTO’s SPS Transparency Champions course held at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, shared her learnings about the SPS Agreement with the participants. The format of the training was engaging, combining theoretical insights with real-world examples, and incorporating practical elements, including hands-on exercises, group discussions, and case study analyses. This ensured a comprehensive and applied understanding of the key provisions of the SPS Agreement.

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