Food Safety And Standards Act Comes Into Effect From 5th Aug 2011

 FSSAI Act 2006  passed by  Indian  parliament to streamline  food safety related issues  under single authority and  rules .Its notification  has been delayed for months  due one or the other reason has been  finally being put in effect  from 5th Aug 2011.

Food manufacturers , suppliers  , vendors  ,eateries , storage , distribution , imports and exports, food services and other related businesses  would be governed by new rules under FSSAI  Rules 2011 .


The Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011

The Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011 has been notified in the Gazette of India dated 1st Aug 2011. these Regulations shall come in force on or after 5th Aug 2011

    Food safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food businesses) regulation, 2011
    Food Safety and standards (Packaging and Labelling) regulation, 2011
    Food safety and standards (Food product standards and Food Additives) regulation, 2011 (part I)
    Food safety and standards( Food product standards and food additives) regulation, 2011 (part II)
    Food safety and standards (Prohibition and Restriction on sales) regulation, 2011
    Food safety and standards (contaminants, toxins and residues) regulation, 2011
    Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and sampling analysis) regulation, 2011

The Food Safety and standards Rules, 2011   

The Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011 has been notified in the Gazette of India vide G.S.R.No:-362-(E) dated 5th May, 2011. These rules shall come in to force after three months from the date of publication in the official gazette. (i.e. 5th August, 2011).



Copies could be downloaded  from   fssai  website
 www.fssai.gov.in

FSSAI  brings  licensing and adulteration  laws

FSSAI Issues Draft Notification For Food Recall Procedure

 Food safety and standards authority of India  has  circulated   the draft for food recall procedures for  comments  and suggestions from all stake holders  before it becomes act through gazetted notifications. Previous food safety act - PFA  Act  didn't have sets rules and procedures  for   food recall  thus this draft attempts to lay down procedure sand guidelines in case  of  food recalls .Countries like USA, Canada , UK and European countries have well established norms for Food Recall s. Public in general  are made aware of  recall by authorities through  websites and press releases of the nature of  complaint and  with details of product which includes the batch number , the brand, mfg dates , manufacturers detail etc.

 

 Draft  consists of   food recall procedures to be followed by  food operators , manufactures/suppliers , distributors, caterers , services  and retailers .

 It covers  entire food recall systems  including  areas such as

Written Recall procedures

Handling of complaints

Exported Material

Classification of  Recalls

Post Recall Actions 

Forms and Declaration formats to be used

Role / Responsibility of Food Operator and Food Authority

get detail s on 

http://fssai.gov.in/Portals/0/Pdf/Recall_procedure%2804-05-2011%29.pdf

FSSAI brings rules for licensing and adulteration under fssai act 2006

Just  a reminder  to all  Indian bakery manufacturer s that  the new act  of food safety and standards 2006   is effective  since  Jan2010 . Please  ensure your firm registration with authorities in proper category .

Article
Around one lakh cases related to food adulteration are pending in courts. The conviction rate of these cases is only 1%, said PI Suvrathan, chairman, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The prime reason for the low conviction rate was faulty designing of the law under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, which was based on sample testing of the final product. If the sample was found adulterated by the food inspector, the food manufacturer was taken to the court. However, he would manage to go free if he proved that circumstances other than manufacturing were responsible for adulteration. For example, the way the product was transported or stored. This allowed him to evade from the 3-6 months jail term as prescribed under the PFA Act.




The laboratories that tested these samples too were not properly equipped. “Every country should have protocols which are uniformly applied to the entire laboratories, “said Suvrathan. The food manufacturer used the loophole in the law to pass on the blame to someone else. However, with the FSSAI coming up, the method of law implementation will change radically. The FSSAI will put the responsibility of food safety on the manufacturer and not the government or the law-enforcing agency. The prime responsibility would lie on the manufacturer and secondary responsibility on the food handler. In case an offence is committed, the manufacturer will be given an opportunity to rectify his product. If the act is repeated, then a warning or suspension may take place.



Said Suvrathan, “For the first time science-based protocols are being laid down. We are developing a simplified system of safety standards which will be a part of the licensing regulation. Around 5,000 food professionals will be accredited who can assist manufacturers in auditing, certifying food units and helping them understand safety laws. The role of the regulating agency will be not only to inspect but also to achieve food safety through interaction with school, colleges, panchayats, corporations and all the stake-holders.



With the FSS Act, the role of food inspector will be replaced by the food safety officer. Also, till now food manufacturers had to comply under various licences proposed under different Acts like the FPO, MPO, etc. Now, all licensing will be integrated in one licence known as the FSSA licence. FSSAI will be licensing all the larger units like milk companies producing above 50,000 litres a day, meat processing units etc. The rest of the units will be licensed by states, in turn by districts, municipal corporations, panchayats etc. Smaller units with monthly income up to one lakh rupees a year or limited quantity of production can simply go for registration and not licensing.



Also, for the first time the FSSAI has introduced the rule that if the regulating authority fails to respond within 60 days of application of licence/registration, then the food manufacturer can go ahead and start operations without approval/registration. Thus the responsibility has been shifted to the regulator, said Suvrathan.

Date  12.03.2010
Source: http://www.fnbnews.com/
Author :Irum Khan

link to fssai : http://www.fssai.gov.in/