Feb 9, 2013

Food business operators welcome extension of registration deadline

Food business operators in the city have welcomed the decision to extend the registration deadline by a year. Following a slew of representations,the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had granted time till February 4,2014 to comply with the licensing and registration rules laid down.
R Srinivasan,secretary of Tamil Nadu Hotels Association,said,We are not against the Act.But some provisions are not friendly.So we filed representations with the Centre to extend the deadline.
P Kulanthavel,a road-side vendor in Anna Nagar, said the food safety department should conduct registration camps in every ward.Most street vendors dont even know about the rules, he said.
After the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006,which includes new licensing and registration norms for food business units,was implemented in August 2011,this is the second time the deadline has been extended.Sources said very few eateries and restaurants in the city had enrolled with the state food safety department despite several notices being issued.Of the identified 22,441 food outlets in the city,only 7,000were registered,they added.District foodsafety officer S Lakshmi Narayan said,We will continue to conduct awareness programmes among food business operators.
All food business operators with an annual turnover of less than 12 lakh will have to obtain a certificate,while those with a turnover of more than 12 lakh will have to obtain a licence.

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