(1) The Food Authority shall consist of a Chairperson and the following twenty-two members out of which one-third shall be women, namely:–

   (a)  seven Members, not below the rank of a Joint Secretary to the Government of India, to be appointed by the Central Government, to respectively represent the Ministries or Departments of the Central Government dealing with–

   (i)  Agriculture,

   (ii)  Commerce,

   (iii)  Consumer Affairs,

   (iv)  Food Processing,

   (v)  Health,

   (vi)  Legislative Affairs,

   (vii)  Small Scale Industries,

   (viii)  who shall be Members ex officio;

   (b)  two representatives from food industry of which one shall be from small scale industries;

   (c)  two representatives from consumer organisations;

   (d)  three eminent food technologists or scientists;

   (e)  five members to be appointed by rotation every three years, one each in seriatim from the Zones as specified in the First Schedule to represent the States and the Union territories;

   (f)  two persons to represent farmers’ organisations;

   (g)  one person to represent retailers’ organisations.

   (2)  The Chairperson and other Members of the Food Authority shall be appointed in such a manner so as to secure the highest standards of competence, broad range of relevant expertise, and shall represent, the broadest possible geographic distribution within the country.

   (3)  The Chairperson shall be appointed by the Central Government from amongst the persons of eminence in the field of food science or from amongst the persons from the administration who have been associated with the subject and is either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.

   ¹[(4)  The Chairperson and the Members including part-time Members other than the ex officio Members of the Food Authority may be appointed by the Central Government on the recommendations of the Selection Committee.

   (5)  The Chairperson of the Food Authority shall not hold any other office.]