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Foreign food facilities complying norms to be regd for 2 years
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Tuesday, 21 December, 2021, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
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In a major step for ensuring food safety of imported food products, the Indian Food Authority – FSSAI has notified the regulations for registration and inspection of foreign food manufacturing facilities wherein only those foreign food manufacturing facilities found to be in compliance of Food Safety and Standards Act, rules and regulations made thereunder shall be registered as foreign food manufacturing facilities for a period of two years.
The regulations called the Food Safety and Standards (Import) First Amendment Regulations, 2021, give power to the Indian food authority to inspect foreign food units, based on the risk, if required.
A whole chapter was added to the Import Regulations of 2017 to address the issue related to foreign manufacturers.
The notified regulations lay that the FSSAI may from time to time, based on the risk, specify the categories of food products intended for export to India for further regulating control and foreign food manufacturing facilities falling under such categories and desirous to export such article of food to India shall register with the Food Authority before exporting to India.
The clause 3 of chapter XIV specifically refers to the inspection of foreign food manufacturing units, under the imports regulation.
It says, “Foreign food manufacturing facility (ies) may be inspected, if required in a manner as specified by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India: Provided that no inspection shall be required in case of such categories of food that are covered under mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards Certification Mark Scheme and where the Bureau of Indian Standards scheme of inspection includes the requirements specified under Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.”
Further, the officials from FSSAI and relevant ministry or organisation or department or recognised auditing agency shall be nominated by the Food Authority for the purpose of inspection of Foreign Food Manufacturing Facilities and if required, the food authority may prescribe cost of inspection, which shall be borne by the foreign food manufacturing facility.
The food authority has also reserved the right to cancel the registration of a foreign unit if they were found operating in contravention of the FSS Act and rules thereunder.
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