FSSAI, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, has mandated food business operators to mention FSSAI licence or registration number on cash receipts or purchase invoice with effect from October 1this year.
This move came as a boon to the consumers enabling them to raise voice against a particular food business regarding malice with the help of FSSAI number.
FSSAI has directed all the authorities and dedicated personnels to publicize and get this policy enacted by the upcoming October 1.
FSSAI license number, if indicated marks a better awarness practice that goes with food safety and failure in doing so would be counted as non compliance to the policy framed.
Stating that the food business ecosystem is large, the regulator said 14-digit FSSAI number of any food business operator is not “easily visible and available on consumer/service recipient.
If the FSSAI number is not available to consumers, expecting him to complain with complete coordinates is an uphill task. Even regulators find it difficult to trace the origin of complaint and attend to it promptly.
No database can be created without a unique locator code, which in case of food safety is the license number.
Additionally FSSAI said that it is amending the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses Regulations to mandate display of ‘food safety display boards’ at all times at prominent places in case of restaurants.
However, there remains a deficit of mechanism for consumer to know the FSSAI number of the service/product provider.
The regulator also mentioned that even in case of pre-packaged food where the manufacturer’s license number is printed on the pack, there exist a deficit of tract and trace mechanism whereby the path of the package from a manufacturer to consumer can be traced.
At present, license number is only indicated on the packaged food products and issues of restaurants and eateries remain hanging, which would get sorted with this development.