FSSAI (The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) makes FSSAI license Number mandatory for food businesses to communicate FSSAI license Number on invoice/bills from 1st October 2021.
The food business ecosystem is huge and the 14-digit FSSAI no. of any food business operator is not easily visible & available to consumer/service recipient.
If the FSSAI number is not available to consumer, expecting him/her to complain about complete coordinates is an arduous task.
Even regulators find it difficult to track the origin of the complaint and attend to it immediately.
No database can be made without a unique locator code, in the case of food safety the FSSAI number is that code/number. Keeping in mind the various snags faced by different consumers, the modern amendment can be a life rescuer for many.
Now, FSSAI number is mandatory to be presented on packaged food labels but the issue lies especially in the case of establishments such as restaurants, sweet shops, caterers, even retail stores.
After the approval of the Food Authority, it is now essential to declare the 14-digit FSSAI License or Registration No. on purchase invoice, cash memo, cash receipts, bills etc. by all food businesses.
The only exemption is the GST E-way bills and other Government documents which are system generated. Non-mentioning of the 14-digit FSSAI License or Registration Number will be a non-compliance or non-registration/licensing by the food business.
Because complaints remain unresolved due to a lack of distinct information, this move will assist consumers to;
- Using the FSSAI number, consumer can file an online complaint against a particular food business.
- Consumers can have access to the particular food business which is publicly available at portal of FSSAI.
- The consumer can go through the “FSSAI portal” or the “Food Safety Connect” app for getting information about the FSSAI license or registration by inserting the 14 digit FSSAI License or Registration No.
Mentioning of FSSAI no. shall also improve the overall awareness.
As stated the above, the food businesses shall be required to mention the 14 digit FSSAI License or Registration No. on purchase invoice, cash memo, cash receipts, bills etc. The authority of Licensing and registration are directed to hugely publicize the policy and will ensure their implementation mandatorily with effect from 2 October, 2021.