Food Safety Act remains on paper in Mysuru?

Less than 10% of food operators in Mysuru city and other parts of the district have availed themselves of the mandatory Food Safety Licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, which came into effect six years ago.

Lack of awareness about the FSSA (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is a statutory body under FSSA) and enforcement were cited as the main reasons for sluggish implementation of the provisions. Like how a trade licence from the Mysusu City Corporation was availed, it is mandatory for vendors to get a licence from FSSAI as well.

Besides roadside eateries, restaurants and star hotels are supposed to have an FSSAI licence. A penalty ranging from ₹30,000 to ₹5 lakh can be imposed on those flouting the norms, according to the authorities here.

The Food Safety and Standards Act came into force in 2011 and the Centre gave time for the food manufacturers till August 2016 to register and get the licences. The time for registration was extended progressively and made mandatory for the food operators to register from August 2016.

S. Chidambara, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority, Mysuru told The Hindu that just 10% of the food manufacturers across the district have taken the Food Safety Licence.

In Mysuru city alone, there were over 11,000 food operators — from star hotels to roadside eateries. If the food operators from the district were included, the number may go up to 20,000, he added.

The licence fee ranges from ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 depending on the size of the food business and the annual turnover. A one-time fee of ₹100 was collected at the time of registration.

Above five-star hotels were supposed to register directly with the Centre and hotels less than three stars can be registered within the State, he explained.

Dr. Chidambara said registration can be done on the FSSAI website. “We are launching a campaign soon to educate operators about the Act and the need for registration and licence,” he said.

For effective implementation of the Act, the city alone required 15 food safety officers — one officer for three wards, but there are only two food officers though the number of sanctioned posts was three, sources in the department said. Food safety officers will be posted soon to the vacant posts for effective implementation, he said.