In accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing & Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, the Health & Family Welfare Department, Nagaland has instructed all Food Business Operators (FBOs) in the state to procure or renew their FSSAI License/Registration Certificate for their food establishments, DIPR stated. This directive applies to both rural and urban areas.
The process can be completed online through the website https://foscos.fssai.gov.in on or before October 31, 2023.
The department notified that 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. Compliance with the FSS Act, Rules & Regulations is mandatory for any form of food business operation.
H&FW mentioned that it has been made aware that certain FBOs are still displaying outdated FSSAI License/Registration numbers, obtained through offline methods, on their food packaging labels. These numbers are no longer valid, it said. It is imperative that the latest FSSAI License/Registration number obtained through online means be printed on their packaging labels and additionally, the labels must include essential information such as the date of manufacture, best-before date, and ingredients, the directive added.
Further, the department stated that operating any type of food business necessitates registration under the Food Safety & Standards Authority (FSS) Act, 2006, as well as obtaining an FSSAI License/Registration certificate. It also said that failure to comply may result in penalties of up to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment of up to 6 months under section 63 in conjunction with section 31 of the FSS Act, 2006.
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