Nagaland FBOs asked to obtain FSSAI license by October 31

DIMAPUR: The Nagaland health and family welfare department, in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing & Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations 2011, has directed all food business operators (FBOs) in the state to compulsorily procure or renew their Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) license/registration certificate for their food establishments on or before October 31, 2023.

In an order on Friday, the Nagaland health and family welfare department said this directive applies to both rural and urban areas.

It added that the process can be completed online through the website https://foscos.fssai.gov.in.

The department pointed out that operating any type of food business necessitates registration under the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSS) Act, 2006, as well as obtaining an FSSAI license/registration certificate.

Failure to comply may result in penalties of up to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment of up to six months under Section 63 in conjunction with Section 31 of the FSS Act, 2006, the Nagaland health and family welfare department said.

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The department said compliance with the FSS Act, rules and regulations is mandatory for any form of food business operation.

The category of FBOs encompasses stockists of food and dietary supplements, all forms of food or health supplement vendors, home-based manufacturers, hostel mess facilities, office/private canteens, street food vendors, meat and vegetable vendors, manufacturers, distributors/wholesalers, suppliers, retailers, hotels, restaurants, and resorts.

The Nagaland health and family welfare department issued the order after observing that certain FBOs are still displaying outdated FSSAI license/registration numbers, obtained through offline methods, on their food packaging labels, which are no longer valid.

It is imperative that the latest FSSAI license/registration number obtained through online means be printed on their packaging labels, it said.

The Nagaland health and family welfare department also directed that the labels must include essential information such as the date of manufacture, best-before date, and ingredients.