Food business operators get a breather

Amoga Laxmi Sukka/Hyderabad : Bowing to the pressure of hotel and eatery industry, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has once again extended the deadline for Food Business Operators (FBO) to renew their licence. Andhra Pradesh Hotels Association (APHA) advisor M S Nagaraju said, “Lack of awareness about the food business operator licence from FSSAI Act was the reason behind low registration and licence renewals”. He said that out of 28, 000 established restaurants in the State, so far only 2,000 have the licence to operate the business and rest of them did not even apply.Out of several lakhs of small and medium scale hotels in the State, a maximum of 8,000 have registered, he said.

“Many people in the hotel and eatery industry are uneducated and unaware of the Act. It is high time for government to disseminate information and discuss the same with local hotel associations about registration and enrolling the licence.” He said. FSSAI Assistant Director (Enforcement) Sanjay Gupta, in a statement stated that the time line has been further extended up to August 8, 2014 from the previous date of February 4.Under the guidelines, every restaurant across the country needs to have a local licence besides a central licence. Some of the guidelines include hygiene and source of origin. Other steps include the cleaning schedule, a no smoking zone and temperature control for frozen food.

Many people in the hotel and eatery industry are uneducated and unaware of the Act. It is high time for government to discuss about registration and enrolling the licence

The Food Safety and Standards Regulations, the tool for implementation of the Act was notified on August 5, 2011. An initial deadline of a year was given to the establishments to register. The FSSAI, the Centre’s nodal agency for quality control and monitoring extended the deadline from August 4, 2012, to February 4, 2013, and again to February 4 this year.National Institute of Nutrition food safety division scientist V Sudershan Rao said the move to extend the deadline is welcome as “Earlier, hotels and restaurants were enrolled under associations like Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA), Milk and Food Products Organisation etc. and later they were included under FSSAI.” It was only in the recent time that even street vendors were included and it definitely takes time to know about the act, he added. 

“Extensive mass media usage to educate and enlighten people is the only way to bring all major, medium and small enterprises under the Act,” said Sudershan.However, the head of reputed restaurant in the city said though the license is unavoidable, the Act needs changes as some rules are unrealistic. He said that one such rule is that restaurants should buy meat only from government approved abattoirs and suppliers. If implemented, many food outlets in the country will be forced to shut down.Responding to queries on the extension of deadline, GHMC food safety medical officer T Damodar Rao said, “Keeping in mind various issues raised by hoteliers and restaurants across the country, FSSAI has once again extended the deadline line by another six months with a view to bring about awareness about the mandatory Act.”