Now, ‘Food safety display boards’ mandatory for outlets

Jaipur: Upbeat after the recent drive unearthing food units involved in adulteration of food items, health department has made it mandatory to display ‘food safety display boards’ (FSDB) at food outlets. The boards will be installed at manufacturing units, storage units and also at retail counters, dairies and other eateries, ensuring sale of hygienic food. 

Besides, the health department has made it mandatory for online food suppliers to procure food license from the health department. “We are taking strict measures to ensure sale of hygienic food in the state. We have issued orders to all the online food suppliers to procure food license. We have made it mandatory,” said Dr Sunil Singh, nodal officer, food safety, health department. 

Dr Singh said that it has also been directed to all the eateries and those involved in sale of and producing food products, to display their food license number by putting up food safety display board (FSDB). The FSDB is now mandatory for those dealing in sale of food, such as restaurants and hotels. 

There will be a toll-free number printed on FSDB, which will be helpful for customers. “If a customer finds that the food is unhygienic, he/she may register his/her complaint through the toll-free number. On the basis of complaint, action will be taken, if the owner of the restaurant is found guilty,” Dr Singh said.

The FSDB is a kind of assurance that a fruit and vegetable retailer gives to his customer that he follows 10 golden rules, such as keeping his cart or premises clean and pest-free, clean clothes, use potable water for washing fruits and vegetables, wash hands before and after handling food and after using toilets, coughing, sneezing, keep sliced foods and vegetables covered, wash chopping board and knives clean, do not handle food when unwell, use water-proof bandage to cover cuts or burn wounds, keep dustbins covered, use clean and separate dusters to clean surfaces and wipe utensils. 

Separate orders and separate FSDB format, have also been issued for liquor retail/wholesale shops, manufacturers, street-food vendors, all goods retail stores, milk retail/wholesale milk dairies, storage, transport, restaurant/hotels and meat retail/wholesale traders.

As per the Food Safety and Standards Regulation, there is a mandatory requirement of displaying FSSAI license/registration number at food premises. Usually, the FSSAI license number is not visible to the consumers. Thus, to change the overall consumer perceptibility and to strengthen food safety, FSSAI has introduced FSDB (FSDBs) for various food businesses. Henceforth, in addition to the existing mandatory requirement of displaying FSSAI license/registration number, it will also be mandatory for FBOs to display these FSDBs on FBO premises.