Expert Speak | Adv. Narendra Ahooja Vivek, Advocate Punjab & Haryana High Court and Retired State Drugs Controller, Haryana at Food and Drugs Administration, Haryana

In this episode of the Express Pharma – Nutrify Today Boardroom series, we focus on a recent development in the nutra sector. Nutraceuticals in India are currently regulated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

However in February 2024, the government formed a panel to review if nutraceuticals need to be shifted to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

In this interview, we discuss this issue in more detail, with Adv Narendra Ahooja Vivek, currently Professor of Practice at Haryana’s MVN University and an advocate with the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

He retired as State Drugs Controller Haryana at Food and Drugs Administration Haryana, after 32 years of service. As he has also been associated with both CDSCO and FSSAI, he is uniquely placed to give us both perspectives.

In the interview, Adv Ahooja explains why he believes that regulatory bodies and regulations should complement each other, and concludes that self regulation is the best form of regulation.
He also discusses the implications of the shift of the nutra sector from FSSAI to CDSCO, explaining why such a shift would not be viable for the growth of the sector.