PUNE: Food traders, restaurants and distributors are now permanently exempted from filingannual returns by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The move has been facilitated by a new amendment in the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, which came into effect on June 10.
The exemption applies to food traders, retailers, caterers, hoteliers, owners of restaurants, mess,fast food joints, grocery shops besides transporters.
"Earlier, the regulatory body had issued a letter granting temporary exemption to traders, restaurants and distributors. With the new amendment, the exemption is permanent. Now, only food manufacturers, packers, re-packers, labellers and re-labellers and importers will have to file annual returns. They will be fined Rs 100 per day for failing to do so," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had earlier directed all foodbusiness licencees with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above to submit their annual returns by May 31, failing which, a fine of Rs 100 per day was to be levied.
Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA said, "It is easy for food manufacturers, packers, re-packers, labellers and re-labellers and importers to keep a record of the stock and transactions made. But the same is difficult for owners of grocery shops and restaurants and other food distributors."
A member of the Poona Merchants Chamber, said, "Traders have been facing a lot of problems ever since the new Food Safety and Standards Act came into force in August 2011. One of issues is filing annual returns. Former Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had held a meeting with FSSAI officials on March 7 last year following which food regulators decided to make certain amendments to resolve the issue. The present amendment is a fall out of our long-drawn struggle."
For the first time food business operators were asked to submit annual returns of their transactions made till March-end when the new Act came into force in August 2011. The Act aims at bringing the food industry under one umbrella by scrapping all old licences. The food industry needs to be regulated in order to ensure food safety.
There are over 9,000 licensed food business operators in the city who have an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above. They include food manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, recyclers, processors, transporters, restaurants, hotels and catering business operators.
As per the Food Safety and Standards Act and Regulations 2011 (licensing and registration), the business operators have to submit the returns in the particular format (form D-1). Only owners of milk businesses have been asked to submit the returns in half yearly format as given in form D-2.
"Another amendment made in the Act exempts food business operators from paying fine for delay in renewal of registration. Only licenced food business operators will have to submit a fine of Rs 100 per day for delay in seeking renewal of licence," Sangat said.
The Changes
1. The amendments to the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, came into effect on June 10
2. Food traders, retailers, caterers, hotels, restaurants, mess owners, fast food joints, transporters, distributors and grocery shop owners have been permanently exempted from filing annual returns
3. Food manufacturers, packers, re-packers, labellers, re-labellers and importers have to submit annual returns
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