The Meals Security and Requirements Authority of India (FSSAI) has floated a session paper proposing to limit permission for manufacturing sure merchandise to meals enterprise operators holding state and central licenses solely. These merchandise embrace toddler meals merchandise, sweetened condensed milk, packaged ingesting water , mineral water and milk powders. The Authority has sought feedback from stakeholders on the identical.
Presently, meals enterprise operators manufacturing these merchandise are required to acquire both FSSAI registration or license based mostly on their eligibility.
Earlier , producers of merchandise corresponding to toddler vitamin, packaged ingesting and mineral water and condensed skimmed milk, have been required to acquire obligatory certification from the Bureau of Indian Requirements moreover FSSAI registration or license. Nevertheless in 2024, the federal government determined to take away obligatory BIS certification necessities as a part of its efforts to make sure ease of doing measures.
In a bid to strengthen the compliance ecosystem, now FSSAI is proposing that present registered firms that make these merchandise ought to be transitioned to obligatory licensing. It is usually proposing that new gamers aspiring to manufacture these high-risk merchandise might want to acquire state or central license to fabricate these merchandise. Due to this fact, it’s proposing to limit firms that maintain FSSAI registration to have permission to make these merchandise.
Acquiring registration
The Authority famous that getting registration entails fewer compliance obligations in comparison with licensing. Meals enterprise operators that acquire FSSAI registration should not required to submit check studies of product evaluation on a mandatorily foundation. In contrast to license holders, it is usually not obligatory for FBOs with registration to submit annual returns, have certified technical personnel to oversee the manufacturing course of and conduct third-party audits. They solely must adjust to very primary hygiene and sanitary requirements in comparison with licensed FBOs. “Moreover, Registered FBOs might lack the technical, monetary and infrastructural capabilities to make sure protected manufacturing, particularly for technically demanding merchandise like toddler meals and packaged ingesting water,” FSSAI famous in its session paper.
“ To additional strengthen the compliance ecosystem it has been proposed that no new Registrations and renewal of present registration shall be allowed for manufacturing of the desired merchandise. Solely State or Central Licenses shall be permitted,” it acknowledged.
The Authority mentioned as soon as finalised a particular drive will likely be performed to transform present registered FBOs to license class. It additionally mentioned that a couple of six months transition interval will likely be given to permit FBOs to shift to the licensing class. As per its estimates, there are over 11,000 meals enterprise operators that make such merchandise and maintain FSSAI registration.
Printed on Could 2, 2025
