Awareness forum for food trade fraternity

Traders dealing in food items have to acquire licences to conduct business according to provisions of the Food Safety and Standard Act.

Bihar Chamber of Commerce (BCC) on Wednesday had organised a workshop to make people engaged in the food business aware of various rules and provisions of the act.

State health secretary-cum-food safety commissioner Sanjay Kumar appealed to the people engaged in the food industry not to operate or carry out business without getting or acquiring registration/licence as violation of the act would attract imprisonment besides a hefty fine.

According to mandatory provisions of the act, all food business operators or any person dealing in food item have to acquire licence or get registered with the designated authority/officer of the central and state governments before August 4," Kumar said.

He added: "A person would be imposed a Rs 2 lakh fine if he is found selling sub-standard food. In case of misbranding, the quantum of fine would increase to Rs 3 lakh. The person would be charged with a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh if it is found that the person was selling adulterated food, which is dangerous to life. If the adulterated food causes death, the punishment could be seven years imprisonment and Rs 10 lakh fine."

The act, which came into force on August 5, 2011, was brought in to ensure quality and hygienic food at every stage that is from the production to the consumption level.

Kumar said all those dealing in food business with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh would have to get registered by the food safety officer whereas those having a yearly turnover above Rs 12 lakh would have to get a licence as well.

He said various central laws/orders such as Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, Fruit Products Order, 1955, Meat Food Products Order, 1973, Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947, Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order 1988, Solvent Extracted Oil, De-oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order 1967, and Milk and Milk Products Order 1992, were repealed to bring the new legislation into force. The multiplicity of laws and orders had posed difficulties for agencies to enforce those properly but it would be easier to implement a single law.

However, there is only one laboratory in the state to check adulterated food, the food safety commissioner said, adding it was insufficient to deal with the huge number adulterated food cases in the event of implementation of the act.

"The state government has decided to set up a laboratory in Patna to deal with such a situation," he added.
"The act has a provision of fine if a person dealing in food business is found selling adulterated and sub-standard food", Kumar said.

BCC president .P. Sah urged the government to create awareness about the various provisions of the act among businessmen in order to make them aware about how to get registered or acquire a licence, conditions for getting licence, consequences of violations and others.

"At present, people don't have much information about the act. There is an urgent need to popularise the act among traders and businessmen. Till then, the implementation of the act should be soft-pedalled," Sah said.