Traders, restaurant owners, and distributors have been excluded from filing annual returns by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country’s apex food regulator. Their exclusion is reprieve earlier, all licensed food business operators with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above were directed to apply FSSAI License in India in the prescribed format (Form D-1) by May 31. Failure to do so would result in a fine of Rs 100 per day being slapped on them.
Ajit Setiya, president, Poona Merchants’ Chamber, said, “Since the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSAI), 2006, came into effect in August 2011, traders have been facing a host of problems. Apart from filing annual returns, they have had to provide information about each of the goods they deal in, the weight of each good, and its purchase and sales values. Only the owners of milk businesses have been asked to submit half-yearly returns in the format prescribed in Form D-2.
An alteration made in the FSSAI License excused the food business owners and distributors from filing annual returns. The new decision has been implemented from 10th June 2014.
The said exemption will give relief to restaurants, fast food joints, canteens, grocery stores and other businesses that deal with food.
FSSAI had given a temporary exception to the Food license for business owners from filing their FSSAI annual returns. The amendment has now made this exemption permanent. With this adjustment, only food producers, labelers, packers, re-labelers and re-packers and importers will be required to file their annual return. The defaulters will be fined Rs 100 per day.
FDA had methodical all approved food business operators, whose annual turnover is up to Rs 12 lakh and over to submit annual returns. The last date to file them was 31st May, following which, they were given interim relief.
However, it was noted that eateries, food distributors, and grocery shops find it difficult to keep track of their transactions and stock; a task which is apparently much easier for manufacturers, packers, importers, re-packers, labelers etc.
As per members of Merchants Chamber in Pune, traders were facing a lot of trouble due to the new FSSAI Act, which was implemented in 2011. After a meeting with the then Agriculture Minister Mr. Sharad Pawar in March 2013, the regulators decided to amend the act to ensure more convenience to the parties involved.
The innovative act required annual returns from FSSAI Registration, business operators and brought all food-based business under a single umbrella. The aim was to regulate the country’s food business and increase food safety. All business owners were asked to file their returns on annual basis through from D 1, except the milk business owner that can submit it half-year via form D 2.
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