Food vendors get more time for registration

Buckling under the pressure from the Union Health Ministry, the top food regulator has, instead of penalising the defaulters, once again extended the February 4, deadline by next six months for food vendors and businessmen for mandatory registration and licensing.

The move followed tepid response to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) drive with just 19 lakh out of around five crore food operators and vendors coming forward for mandatory registration by February 4, 2014. Similarly, just around five lakh businessmen engaged in the food business have been issued licence so far against the target of 50 lakh. Just a month ago, the FSSAI had warned to penalise the defaulters and made clear that no extension will be allowed. However, response has been utterly poor despite three extensions.

A look at the Government data shows that the States have failed miserably to cover all the food operators under its registration and licencing drive within the deadline of February 4. Maharashtra is the only State which has registered highest food business operators followed by Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. (See box) When asked, AK Panda, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry blamed the States for failing to create awareness among the food business operators. “Moreover, it is not easy task to cover each and every food operator in the country like ours,” he said adding that more time has been given to the vendors to register with the Government. The first deadline was August 4, 2012, that is one year after the implementation of the FSS (Licencing & Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. It was extended again by six months to February 4, 2013, and then to February 4, 2014. 

The FSS Act makes it mandatory for every FBO having a turnover Rs 12 lakh to obtain a licence and those below Rs 12 lakh to get themselves registered. This implies that excepting big eateries all FBOs, from road-side sellers to vegetable vendors and from milkman to caterers, all need to be registered. As per the Act, all FBOs must maintain a record of the inventory of raw food, stored food, water, food and air testing and pest control regimes.