Get licences, hoteliers and provision store owners told

Applications can be downloaded from www.fssai.gov.in.

The Centre has passed the “Food Safety and Standards Act 2006” for ensuring supply of safe and wholesome food articles to consumers and as per its provisions, all those running hotels and provisions stores should get licences, according to Rajendra Ratnoo, District Collector.

Speaking at an awareness meeting held here for hoteliers and provision store owners, Mr. Ratnoo said the Act encompassed all aspects of food supply, from manufacturing points to end-users.

It provides for analysing any food article for extraneous matter, adulterants, and contaminants. The Act also provides for keeping track of genetically modified or engineered food items. Besides taking care of food products at the manufacturing points, the Act also focuses attention on supply side.

For instance, hotels should not engage any person suffering from infectious or contagious or loathsome diseases.

Provision stores should neither store nor sell any unsafe or misbranded or substandard or any item prohibited by the food authority or the Central government or the State government.

Mr. Ratnoo said food security officers had been appointed at the district, municipal and panchayat union levels for proper implementation of the Act. Food business operators can apply for licences either through those officials or download applications from www.fssai.gov.in.