The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued an advisory on May 16, 2024, addressing the update process for modification applications related to food business licenses or registrations under FoSCoS. According to the FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011, Food Business Operators (FBOs) must keep their licensing authority informed of any significant changes such as modifications in product category, layout, or closure before such changes occur. Previously, FBOs could only submit one modification application at a time, causing delays as they had to wait for the current application’s approval before filing a new one. In response to feedback from FSSAI-FBO meetings, the Food Authority approved a new provision allowing FBOs to cancel and resubmit modification applications, aiming to expedite the process. This change is intended to streamline the regulatory process and enhance efficiency for all stakeholders involved, including Food Business Operators and state food safety commissioners.
File No: RCD-01002/1/2021-Regulatory-FSSAI-Part(6)
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(A Statutory Authority established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006)
(Regulatory Compliance Division)
FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi -110002
Dated, 16 May, 2024
Advisory
Subject: Provision to FBOs to update the filed modification application of license/registration in FoSCoS-reg.
As per 2.1.9 (1) of the FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011, “Food Business Operators shall ensure that the Registering or Licensing Authority always has up-to-date information on their food business establishments and shall inform the relevant Authority of any modifications or additions or changes in product category, layout, expansion, closure, or any other material information based on which the license was granted and such information shall be conveyed before the changes occur.”
2. Earlier, Food Business Operators [FBOs] could apply for only one modification application for license/ registration at a time wherein they were required to go for next modification of their license /registration only after issuance of prior modified license/registration. This often resulted in delays as FBOs had to wait for acceptance/clearance by the concerned authority for filed modification application before proceeding with a new one.
3. Based on the concerns and suggestions received in the FSSAI-FBO meetings, the said matter was taken up in the 39th Meeting of the Food Authority held on 13th July 2022, wherein Food Authority had approved the proposal to introduce additional provision in FoSCoS allowing FBOs to cancel their Modification Application and apply for updated modification application.
4. This is for the information to all Food Business Operators, Associations, and other stakeholders.
To:
1. All Food Business Operators, Associations, Food Safety Mitra, and other stakeholders
2. Commissioners of Food Safety of all States/UTs
3. Directors of all Regional Offices, FSSAI
Copy for information to:
1. PPS to Chairperson, FSSAI
2. PS to CEO, FSSAI
3. CTO – for uploading on FSSAI website
