Food Safety and standards regulations act is all set to be enforced. Millions of food sellers could go out of business.
One law is going to axe many food sellers across the country from their business and hit their livelihood. This law will be enforced in six months from now, following a breather given by the regulatory authority to the vendors. Earlier, August 4th was set as the date to begin the enforcement which would have forced millions of food sellers to shut down.
In the name of enforcing and ensuring basic hygiene and sanitary conditions at all installations, the Food Safety and Standards Association of India has declared that all food businesses need license and have to follow set norms, rules and regulations. And if violated, the authority will have the right to close the establishments down immediately.
The licensing regulations notified under this act covers the entire food chain; from manufacturers, packers, wholesalers, distributors, sellers, importers, transporters, processors to food storage establishments. All street vendors, fruit and vegetable sellers, roadside tea shops, dhabas, sweet shops, hotels, restaurants, canteens, caterers, religious places distributing the food, milk dairies, grocery stores, food malls, bakeries
and edible oil units will either need a license or a registration. This law empowers state food authorities and inspectors with powers to order unit closure and impose heavy penalties with a minimum of INR 25,000.
However the response from the food sellers is very aggressive towards this law. "The regulation is impractical and undemocratic. We are selling the food and anyway ensure the hygienic conditions. In the name of this law the local officials would harass us and it also breeds more corruption," says Sunder Raju, the owner of a hotel in Ameerpet. "Undoubtedly one should maintain safety and hygiene at the food stalls. But there is sufficient time to be given to these vendors to get their establishments registered. The deadline issued by the Food safety authorities is unrealistic," laments Suresh Krishna, a owner of another restaurant at Begumpet.
According to the law food business with an annual turnover below INR 12 lakh will have to get themselves registered and while those with a turnover above INR 12 lakh will have to obtain a license. The procedure for both the categories is elaborate and time consuming. Government enforcing this law with immediate effect is drawing the food sellers into a tough situation. Fee for one year, the registration fee is INR 100 and for license it ranges from INR 2000-7500. Some categories of food sellers will also have to file annual returns to the food regulator.
However few owners of restaurants are in support of this law. "One has to think of the health of an individual. Nothing is important than your customer's health. Obtaining license or getting registered would guarantee the hygiene and safety of food at your hotel which would attract more customers. I have been running my restaurant for the past 15 years and I am totally for this law and there is nothing wrong in it. The huge uproar against this law is meaningless," says V Ramakanth, a Senior Journalist, who happens to be the owner of a restaurant as well.
The August 4th deadline was not taken well by the vendors. They were miffed at such short notice given to them. With the 6 month extension granted to the vendors, many feel it will be far easier to comply with. Many of the food sellers and road side vendors were unaware of this law. "I am hearing about it for the first time. Why should we take licenses as we have set up a stall on the road side? I do not understand the logic behind it. And in the name of this law officials and other concerned departments would try to harass us. Thankfully they gave us sufficient time to get licenses," says Mukundaiah, a roadside food seller at Secunderabad. However with the enforcement of this law millions of food sellers could go out of business. And it would become illegal if they sell food or even distribute it without a proper approval.
One law is going to axe many food sellers across the country from their business and hit their livelihood. This law will be enforced in six months from now, following a breather given by the regulatory authority to the vendors. Earlier, August 4th was set as the date to begin the enforcement which would have forced millions of food sellers to shut down.
In the name of enforcing and ensuring basic hygiene and sanitary conditions at all installations, the Food Safety and Standards Association of India has declared that all food businesses need license and have to follow set norms, rules and regulations. And if violated, the authority will have the right to close the establishments down immediately.
The licensing regulations notified under this act covers the entire food chain; from manufacturers, packers, wholesalers, distributors, sellers, importers, transporters, processors to food storage establishments. All street vendors, fruit and vegetable sellers, roadside tea shops, dhabas, sweet shops, hotels, restaurants, canteens, caterers, religious places distributing the food, milk dairies, grocery stores, food malls, bakeries
and edible oil units will either need a license or a registration. This law empowers state food authorities and inspectors with powers to order unit closure and impose heavy penalties with a minimum of INR 25,000. However the response from the food sellers is very aggressive towards this law. "The regulation is impractical and undemocratic. We are selling the food and anyway ensure the hygienic conditions. In the name of this law the local officials would harass us and it also breeds more corruption," says Sunder Raju, the owner of a hotel in Ameerpet. "Undoubtedly one should maintain safety and hygiene at the food stalls. But there is sufficient time to be given to these vendors to get their establishments registered. The deadline issued by the Food safety authorities is unrealistic," laments Suresh Krishna, a owner of another restaurant at Begumpet.
According to the law food business with an annual turnover below INR 12 lakh will have to get themselves registered and while those with a turnover above INR 12 lakh will have to obtain a license. The procedure for both the categories is elaborate and time consuming. Government enforcing this law with immediate effect is drawing the food sellers into a tough situation. Fee for one year, the registration fee is INR 100 and for license it ranges from INR 2000-7500. Some categories of food sellers will also have to file annual returns to the food regulator.
However few owners of restaurants are in support of this law. "One has to think of the health of an individual. Nothing is important than your customer's health. Obtaining license or getting registered would guarantee the hygiene and safety of food at your hotel which would attract more customers. I have been running my restaurant for the past 15 years and I am totally for this law and there is nothing wrong in it. The huge uproar against this law is meaningless," says V Ramakanth, a Senior Journalist, who happens to be the owner of a restaurant as well.
The August 4th deadline was not taken well by the vendors. They were miffed at such short notice given to them. With the 6 month extension granted to the vendors, many feel it will be far easier to comply with. Many of the food sellers and road side vendors were unaware of this law. "I am hearing about it for the first time. Why should we take licenses as we have set up a stall on the road side? I do not understand the logic behind it. And in the name of this law officials and other concerned departments would try to harass us. Thankfully they gave us sufficient time to get licenses," says Mukundaiah, a roadside food seller at Secunderabad. However with the enforcement of this law millions of food sellers could go out of business. And it would become illegal if they sell food or even distribute it without a proper approval.
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