HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, Aug 18: The Nagaland health and family welfare department, in accordance with the Food
Safety and Standards (Licensing & Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, has directed all
food business operators (FBOs) in the state to compulsorily procure or renew their Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) license/registration certificate for their food establishments on or
before October 31, 2023.
In an order on Friday, the department said this directive applies to both rural and urban areas. It added
that the process can be completed online through the website https://foscos.fssai.gov.in.
The department pointed out that operating any type of food business necessitates registration under
the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSS) Act, 2006, as well as obtaining an FSSAI
license/registration certificate. Failure to comply may result in penalties of up to Rs 5 lakh and
imprisonment of up to six months under Section 63 in conjunction with Section 31 of the FSS Act, 2006,
it said.
The department said compliance with the FSS Act, rules and regulations is mandatory for any form of
food business operation.
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.
The department issued the order after observing that certain FBOs are still displaying outdated FSSAI
license/registration numbers, obtained through offline methods, on their food packaging labels, which
are no longer valid. It is imperative that the latest FSSAI license/registration number obtained through
online means be printed on their packaging labels, it said.
The department also directed that the labels must include essential information such as the date of
manufacture, best-before date, and ingredients.
