15,259 food business operators enrolled

A total of 15,259 food business operators from various parts of Tuticorin district have been enrolled in Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Of the total operators, 3, 963 food business units are being maintained by government agencies and 11, 296 are private operators, according to M. Jagadis Chandrabose, District Designated Officer, FSSAI.

As per the Food Safety Standards Act, 13, 936 operators have registered and 843 operators obtained licences until December, 2013.

Dr. Chandrabose said here on Saturday that registration and licencing of food business entities had become mandatory as per the Act.

Citing the necessity of completing such formalities, he said the Commissioner of Food Safety ordered that February 4, 2014 would be the last date for all food business operators to get themselves registered with the FSSAI.

Must comply with order

Food restaurants and food producers in the form of packing, wholesale business, distribution, retail, export and import must comply with the order.

Under this formality, food processors, road side eateries and platform vendors would also be liable either to register or obtain licences based on their annual turnover.

Any operator, whose annual turnover is less than Rs. 12 lakh, must register by paying a sum of Rs. 100 as registration fee and if an operator’s annual turnover is over Rs. 12 lakh, he or she must obtain licence, Dr. Chandrabose added.

Violators would have to pay a penalty of Rs.5 lakh and he might also undergo a six-month rigorous imprisonment according to the FSSAI. Hence, he appealed to the operators to access website: www.thhealth.org/foodsafety.html and also on www.foodlicensing.fssai.gov.in for registration and licensing.