THE LEGAL METROLOGY ACT, 2009

• An Act to establish and enforce standards of weights and measures, regulate trade and commerce in weights, measures and other goods which are sold or distributed by weight, measure or number and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto
• BE it enacted by Parliament in the Sixtieth Year of the Republic of India.
• “Legal Metrology” means that part of metrology which treats units of weighment and measurement, methods of weighment and measurement and weighing and measuring instruments, in relation to the mandatory technical and legal requirements which have the object of ensuring public guarantee from the point of view of security and accuracy of the weighments and measurements.

Units of weights and measures to be based on metric system.—Every unit of weight or measure shall be in accordance with the metric system based on the international system of units

Base unit of weights and measures:   

              Indian Institute of Legal Metrology (Ranchi)- established under the provisions of the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976 (60 of 1976). To give the training and sponsor the courses regarding Legal metrology.

  CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi is the National Metrology Institute (NMI) of India, member of the “Metre Convention” and of the Asia-Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP). India is also a signatory of International Bureau of Weights & Measures (BIPM) and Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM-MRA). CSIR-NPL has responsibility for maintaining the National Standards of Measurements, traceability of measurement through Bilateral/International key comparisons and the Quality System as per ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 17034:2016. Centre for Calibration & Testing (CFCT) Section has been established at CSIR-NPL, New Delhi to promote Calibration & Testing Services of the laboratory. 

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE ACT, 1937 (GRADING AND MARKETING)

Last amemd.1986

Date: 24^th February, 1937.

• AGMARK –Agricultural marketing
• The headquarters of AGMARK is in Faridabad (Haryana).
• Agricultural produce- includes all produce of agriculture or horticulture and all articles of food or drink wholly or partly manufactured from any such produce, and fleeces and the skins of animals;
• The Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 was the first legislation enacted by the Central Government to formulate standards and carry out grading and marking of agricultural and allied commodities. The articles included in the Schedule are fruits and vegetables, dairy and poultry products, foodgrains and allied products, pulses, oilseeds, oils and cakes, essential oils, fibres, spices and condiments, forest produce, edible nuts, tobacco, tea, coffee, honey, wheat, atta, besan, suji and maida, raw meat etc. The Act also empowers the Central Government to include additional commodities/products in the schedule for enforcement of grade standards and implementing grading and quality control.

Act specifically empowers the Government to:

(i) fix grade designations indicating the quality of the produce;

(ii) Define the quality indicated by each grade designation;

(iii) Specify the grade designation mark to represent particular grade designation;

(iv) Specify the manner in which the article could be packed, sealed and marked;

(v) Authorize a person or a body to use the grade designation marks under prescribed conditions.

• Agmark standards have been framed and notified in respect of 222 commodities which include food-grains, pulses, fruits and vegetables, spices, edible nuts, oil seeds, vegetable oils and fats, fibres, forest products, livestock, dairy and poultry products.
• At present, 11+1 Regional Agmark Laboratories are operating under the Apex Central Agmark Laboratories, Nagpur. These laboratories also provide training to chemists of the laboratories of the States/UTs

THE EXPORT (QUALITY CONTROL AND INSPECTION) ACT, 1963 &

THE EXPORT (QUALITY CONTROL AND INSPECTION) RULES, 1964

• The Export Inspection Council (EIC) is the official export –certification body of India which ensures quality and safety of products exported from India. EIC was set up by the Government of India under Section 3 of the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963 to ensure sound development of export trade of India through quality control and inspection and matters connected therewith. The role of EIC is to ensure that products notified under the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act 1963 are meeting the requirements of the importing countries in respect of their quality and safety.
• The Export Inspection Council is located at Delhi and is headed by a Chairman. The Executive Head of the Council is the Director of Inspection & Quality Control who is responsible for day to day functioning of the Council. The assurance to quality and safety is provided through either a consignment wise inspection or a quality assurance / food safety management based certification through its field organization. The Export Inspection Agencies (EIAs) located at Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi, Delhi and Chennai with a network of 30 sub offices backed by the state of art, NABL accredited laboratories at various places. EIC provides mandatory certification for various Food items namely fish & fishery products, dairy product, honey, egg products, meat and meat products, poultry meat products, animal casing, Gelatin, Ossein and crushed bones and feed additive and pre-mixtures while other food and non-food products are certified on voluntary basis. With more than four decade experience in the field of inspection, testing and certification of food items as per importing country’s requirements, EIC is the only organization in India having global acceptance.

  BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS      

BIS is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016 for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.BIS has been providing traceability and tangibility benefits to the national economy in a number of ways – providing safe reliable quality goods; minimizing health hazards to consumers; promoting exports and imports substitute; control over proliferation of varieties etc. through standardization, certification and testing.

• A standard is a document that provides agreed solutions to recurring problems. These could be specifications, procedures and guidelines to ensure that products, services and systems are safe, consistent and reliable
• As per the BIS Act 2016, standard that is established and published by BIS (the National Standards Body) in relation to any good, process, system or service is an Indian Standard.
• Standards help us in many ways. They can:
• Facilitate trade and commerce
• Improve processes and make them more efficient
• Guide in consistent functioning and quality
• Simplify comparison of products & services
• Ensure health and safety
• Conserve resources and reduce impact on our environment
• Promote technological developments
• Few Important Standards,
  • IS 10500 – Drinking water specification
  • IS 14543 – Packaged drinking water (other than Packaged natural mineral water) – Specification
  • IS 1797 – Methods of test for spices and condiments
  • IS 11536 – Processed- cereal based complementary foods
  • IS 1656 – Milk-Cereal based complementary foods
  • IS 14433-1 – Infant milk substitutes, Part 1: Milk Protein Based.