Deadline for registration of shops extended
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, February 05 2013: The deadline for the owners of shops and other business establishments selling eatable items and those companies manufacturing food items to possess registration card or license issued by Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has been extended for another six months starting from today.

In accordance to the Food Safety and Standard Authority Act, 2006, which is implemented in the State since 2011, owners of shops and other business establishments selling eatable items as well as companies manufacturing food items should possess the required registration card or license given by the Food and Safety Authority of India by August 2011.However, as the owners of most shops/business establishments and companies are unaware of the provisions of the Act, the Government of Manipur has extended the deadline for acquiring the registration card and license till February 4, 2013 .

The deadline for the registration and possession of license which was fixed till February 4 this year was further extended for another six months, following an order issued by CR Dalal, Director, FSSAI, on January 29 last.

The order will remain effective until further notifications.

According to reliable sources, there are more than 5 crores business operators in the country operating in sales and manufacture of food items.

Among them, around 11 lakhs have got registered under FSSAI.

In Manipur, there are more than 50,000 shops and establishment selling eatable items as well as companies manufacturing food items.

However, hardly 500 of them have registered themselves or acquired license from FSSAI.

According to the guidelines of the Act, if an individual is running a shop selling eatables with a business turnover of Rs 10 lakh, he or she should get registered with the Food Safety and Authority of India and all those shops/ establishments and companies selling and producing food items with a business turnover of above Rs 12 lakhs should posses license from the Food Safety and Authority of India.

Though the steps taken up by the Food Safety and Authority of India to provide safe food stuffs to the general public is praiseworthy, yet the people of the state in general and the owners of shops and establishments and companies selling and producing food items in particular do not understand the Act on its entirety.

Over and above, all the individuals who have registered and possessed license do not seem to bother about the Act and at the same time lack of adequate staff in the State other than the Food Safety Officer has created much problem in the implementation of the Act.

The source further informed that shop owners and proprietors of industries not following the guidelines of the Food Safety and Standard Act could be fined Rs 2 lakhs.

They could also be fined Rs 5 lakhs if the food items being sold or produced lead to the death of consumers after consumption.

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