FDA authorised to issue licences to all eateries

PUNE: With the amended Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, coming into force, all food manufacturers, including small retailers, street hawkers, canteens and hotels up to five-star level, will now have to register and obtain licences from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), instead of the municipal corporation.

The 12 food inspectors from the Pune Municipal Corporation and seven from the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation are now functioning as food safety officers under the FDA. Ever since the amended Act came into force in August 2011, the FDA has completed 500 registrations and is still processing 400 applications. However, software for online registration and licensing is still not in place.Chandrashekhar Salunke, assistant commissioner, Food, FDA, Pune district, said, "Before the Act was modified, the municipal corporations were the licensing authority. The food inspectors from the PMC and the PCMC will now be known as food safety officers and will work under the supervision of FDA's designated officer."

The earlier FSSA was implemented in place of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA), 1954. Under the PFA, the local authority was empowered to issue licences. According to the new Act, licences will be issued by Central or state licensing authorities.

Salunke said the issuance of registration certificates was being affected due to the absence of a software. "The software implementation is in its final stage. Food manufacturers whose registration process has been completed are still waiting for the certificates, which will be issued when the software is ready. In the meantime, we are in the process of informing them that registrations have been granted to them," Salunke said. Implementation of the software is expected to be expedited with the help of Mahesh Zagade, commissioner, state food and drug administration.

All street food vendors with an annual turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh will have to obtain a certificate. Those having a turnover of over Rs 12 lakh will have to obtain a licence. The FDA has also been approached by three local associations of street hawkers for registrations.Salunke said if the existing food licences were valid, then no new licence will have to be obtained for the remaining period of validity. All new licences will be valid for a period of one to five years, or as per the requirement of the applicant.

Meanwhile, the president of Pune Restaurant and Hoteliers Association, Ganesh Shetty, said the association was providing guidance on the process of renewing the licences. "If the last date for renewal of the licence is December 31, the food manufacturers will have to get the new licences before November 31. There are many rules for renewal of licences under the amended Act, Shetty said.

 source:timesofindia.indiatimes.com