FSSAI to Renew Licenses for Already Existing Product Approvals

Health Supplements – Natural Vitamin Pills

FSSAI in its office memorandum, dated 29 September 2014, has stated that licenses would be renewed for already approved food products. FSSAI had stated that PNOCs/NOCs already issued by theProduct Approval Division of FSSAI for food product(s) would be renewed if it has expired or for those product(s) where the risk assessment outcome is awaited.

However, the validity of the license will depend on the result of the final risk assessment by FSSAI.

The risk assessment outcome will also determine whether the issued license will be further renewed, suspended or cancelled.

NOCs for Imported food products

For important food products FSSAI has set up a mandatory food import clearance process. The process is lengthy and involves a number of procedures. In the first step Customs generates an examination order through the bill of entry. Only after sample testing fee and necessary documents have been submitted do the Custom House Agents (CHAs) seek an appointment for from the FSSAI-AO. Once the appointment for sampling is granted AO will

Visually inspect food products

Verify documents and labels

Randomly pick samples from the consignment at the CFS or from the vessels

Sealed and cooled samples are sent to the approved testing laboratories for analysis

In the approved laboratories tests on the food product samples are carried out according to the requirements set in FSS (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011. The laboratory sends the test report to FSSAI within the stipulated time. On the basis of this test report the AO gives NOC for clearance or Non Conformance to the CHA and customs.

The process may be lengthy nevertheless, between January and June 2014, FSSAI has awarded NOC for 35,008 samples out of the 37,124 sample collected for testing. Out of these the samples that did not get clearance were those that did not meet the safety and quality parameters of the Food Safety & Standards Regulations 2011 in compliance to Food Safety & Standards Act.