Under section 11 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the ex officio Chairperson of the Central…

(The Central Committee for Food Standards under s.3 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 has no counterpart.) Section 11(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 requires the Food Authority to establish, by notification, a Central Advisory Committee, which under s.12 ensures close cooperation between the Food Authority and enforcement agencies and advises the Food Authority on its work programme, prioritisation of work, potential risks and pooling of knowledge. Section 11(4) makes the Chief Executive Officer the ex officio Chairperson of the Committee. The Chairperson of the Scientific Committee is only an ex officio member (s.11(2)), representatives of the Ministries including Health attend only as invitees (s.11(3)), and neither the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare nor the Director General of Health Services is named as Chairperson. Hence "The Chief Executive Officer of the Food Authority".