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Extension a welcome step, but FSSA will facilitate entry of foreigners
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Monday, 11 February, 2013, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Akshay Kalbag, Mumbai
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fiogf49gjkf0d The recent Feb 4, 2014, extension accorded to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for obtaining licence or secure registration by food business operators (FBOs) has been welcomed by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). But the body will continue to oppose the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006.
This was informed by B C Bhartia, national president, and Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general, CAIT, while speaking to FnB News. They said, “The Act and its Rules have been framed keeping in mind the interest of foreign companies which will promote packaged foods in India and prove very detrimental to the interests of existing Indian food businesses. FSSA has a number of provisions, which are impossible for the domestic food business operators in the country to adhere to.”
They referred to a provision of the Act which stated that any such FBO - institution with a profit motive or not, irrespective of whether it was a private or a public sector establishment, and engaged in the activities of manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, import and distribution of food articles or any type of food service would be treated as FBO and needed to either obtain a licence or get registered.
Bhartia and Khandelwal, said, “Under the provisions of the Act, registration would have to be obtained not only by the people engaged in food businesses (including hawkers and street vendors) and the caterers who use food articles at social functions, but also by those who make prasad in temples or langars in gurudwaras. Even a minor lapse would make these FBOs liable for punishment stipulated in the Act.”
Bhartia and Khandelwal have urged the government to re-examine the rules and regulations of the Act, and informed that a CAIT delegation would be meeting Ghulam Nabi Azad, minister of health, Government of India, and K Chandramouli, chairman, FSSAI, and present a memorandum demanding that a joint committee, comprising senior officials and trade representatives, be constituted to review the rules and regulations.
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