Eateries get 6 months more for licences, delay now 3½yrs

CHENNAI: In another concession to hotels, hostels, bakeries, restaurants and other eateries, fruits and vegetable shops, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Monday extended the deadline for them to obtain licences by six more months, to February 4, 2015. 

This is fourth extension that FSSAI has granted food businesses to comply with the norms of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011, pushing the deadline back by no less than three and a half years. The authority had previously extended the deadline from August 4, 2012 to February 4, 2013, then to February 4 and again to August 4 this year. 

FSSAI director (enforcement) Bimal K Dubey said the authority has extended the deadline to ensure more food businesses to renew or convert existing licences or registrations. As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, a licence is compulsory for any food business with an annual turnover in excess of 12 lakh. Those with a lower turnover must register with the state food safety department. 

Only 8,083 food businesses in the city have enrolled with the food safety department thus far. As many as 4,638 food businesses have obtained licences and 3,445 have registered with the department. The department's data shows 483 food businesses did not renew annual licences and 782 did not renew registration. 

A vendor who fails to register or obtain a licence is liable to be forced to shut shop, pay fines ranging from 25,000 to 10 lakh or face imprisonment of up to six months. But food safety officials said they have not suspended the licence of any city food operator so far. 

They have, nonetheless, issued improvement notices to more than 1,000 food operators in the city for unhygienic cooking practices — a fact that, combined with the relaxed pace at which the law is being implemented, is unlikely to instill much confidence in food safety among consumers. 

A food safety official said many food businesses in the city have not obtained licences or taken registration seriously because the authorities have extended the deadline several times. "Lack of awareness about the act could also be a reason for laxity in compliance," she said. "We cannot take action against businesses who deal in unhygienic food because of the extensions." 

Tamil Nadu Hotels Association secretary R Srinivasan welcomed the extension. "We have filed several representations against the act because it is extremely stringent and impractical. There should be an amendment in the law to reduce the penalties because they are too harsh," he said. 

Consumer activists, however, have quite the opposite take on the extension. Consumer rights activist T Sadagopan said the extension of deadline could not be justified. 

"The government has given these businesses adequate time to get licences or register with the food safety department," he said. "Most food businesses prepare and serve food in unhygienic conditions and pose a serious health risk to the public at large." He said food safety officials rarely inspect restaurants.