Following the establishment of FoSCoS, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued an order requiring existing approved manufacturers to modify their licences. Standardised food products will be linked to the fssai food category list for the purposes of manufacturer licencing and registration under the new regime.
Currently, the manufacturer applicant types the name of the food product it plans to manufacture in the text box supplied when applying for a licence in FSSAI's FLRS (Food Licensing and Registration System). With the introduction of the Food Safety Compliance System, or FoSCoS, it has been replaced with a selection choice for standardised food products.
The order says, “The change is only for manufacturers including repackers and relabeller of food products. Manufacturers will have to select a standardised product only out of the list provided on the licensing platform. The standardised product shall have its classification as per food category system indicated for convenience. In case, not falling under standardised product, FBO will have to apply under proprietary food, non-specified food or supplements, nutraceuticals, as the case may be. In these cases, the text box approach will continue. Licensing for all FBOs other than manufacturers, such as catering (food services), transport, wholesaler, storage, e- commerce etc. will continue to be on the basis of broad food product categories.”
The ruling further states that Category 99 is a residual category for products such as additives, processing aids, and enzymes for licencing purposes.
“It is proposed to continue the text box approach for category 99 as while some food additives and other substances have standards, there are many for which standards are under development. And at an appropriate time in future, this category may also be considered to be moved to standardised list approach”, reads the order.
A new Category 100 is also being formed just for the purpose of licencing, which will contain standardised items that do not have a food category system mapped.
According to the order, there are no standardised food products in the food categories 15.0-ready to eat savouries and 16.0 -prepared food, so a manufacturer (for example, ready-to-eat packets) must obtain a Central licence under the proprietary food category.
Many manufacturers with licences in the wrong food category or licences for non-standardised items as standardised food products in the previous system will be required to have their licences amended, according to the FSSAI.
Existing FBOs with valid food product manufacturing licences will be needed to change their existing licences after migrating to the new system - FoSCoS generatinga fssai food category list– by selecting goods from a list of standardised products. For a time ending December 31, 2020, licenced manufacturers have been given a window to modify their licences without paying a charge.
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