FSSAI extends deadline for obtaining licence under Food Safety Act by 3 months

In terms of licensing and registration of food business, of the 50 million food units in the country, only about 3.3 million are licensed.

Chandigarh: The food regulator has extended the deadline for obtaining licence and registration under food safety and standards by three months.

At an ASSOCHAM event held in New Delhi on Wednesday, the CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Pawan Kumar Agarwal, said the deadline was February 4 and the move to extend it was aimed at accommodating businesses that are yet to get a licence.

"We had a consultation with all food safety commissioners. There was generic view that there should not be any further extension, but considering that there may still be some businesses that have not obtained licences and the registration under the new legislation," Agarwal said at the 8th Global Food Processing Summit-cum Awards 2016.

In terms of licensing and registration of food business, of the 50 million food units in the country, only about 3.3 million are licensed. "We have not even reached the 10% mark of that," Agarwal said.

"There is no choice for us but to adopt international practices on food safety and I do hope we receive all the corporations from all the food businesses." Agarwal said there is no reason for the regulator and food businesses to be seen in an adversarial position.

"We are also the citizen and consumer apart from the food businesses where you will have profit motives, and I am sure as responsible citizens and consumers, you will ensure the food safety in the manufacturing processes, in storages, in transportation also various elements of act are still to come into force," he said.

According to the CEO, the other issue was printing of licence number on packaged food, the last date for which, after many extensions, was December 31. He said all packaged food is expected to have FSSAI licence number and that there will be no further extension.

"I think we have extended it many times and next is about display of FSSAI on the premises which again many food business are currently not doing it, Agarwal said. "The new legislation is all about creating science-based standards for food safety...It is expected that 80-90% of standards and regulations should be in place within the next few months as we move forward," he said.