The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has introduced the Food Safety Compliance System to enhance the ease of doing business for food industry enterprises. On May 28, 2020, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India said in its announcement that they would replace FLRS (Food Licensing and Registration System) with FoSCoS. This move is to offer many services for food business operators, including services for registering and obtaining licenses for FBOs (Food Business Operators) as well as other regulatory compliances. The authorities designed the updated cloud-based digital website for improved food safety compliance.
Did you know? The government introduced the Food Safety Compliance System all over India on 1st November 2020.
What is FoSCoS?
To replace the current Food Licensing and Registration System, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced its cloud-based, improved new food safety compliance platform named Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) (FLRS). FoSCoS is designed to be a one-stop shop for all interactions between an FBO and the FSSAI on regulatory compliance. Phased launches of FoSCoS are planned, with the first phase launching on June 1, 2020, in the states/UTs of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Goa, Delhi, Odisha, Manipur, Chandigarh, Puducherry, and Ladakh.
A new strategy for producers of standardised food products has been introduced, i.e., the FoSCoS food safety. The method will continue to follow the Food License and Registration Process for manufacturers of unspecified food items, health supplements or supplementation, uniquely packaged foods, or any chemical additives to foodstuff. The license or registration of many other food enterprises, including caterer, transportation, warehousing, etc., would depend on a broad classification strategy.
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Why was FoSCoS Introduced?
To make food business assistance for FBOs easier and better, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India changed the FLRS to the FoSCoS. Customers of all jurisdictions or Union Territories where this system is already functioning need to check the official web portal of the Food Safety Compliance System and create an account using the same username and password for every amenity they would like to obtain. The Food Safety Compliance System will eventually change the current online Food Permits and Registration System.
Owners of food businesses with Indian Railways also have the recognition or permit. Until the upcoming notice from the Food Safety and Standards Rules, the relevant businesses must employ the Food Permit and Registration Process. They will continue to receive all consumer complaints from food business owners across India, and they must address these complaints in a timely fashion at the Food Licensing and Registration System exclusively.
The Objective of the FoSCoS
The following are the fundamental objectives of the Food Safety Compliance Scheme:
- To build a framework for food safety adherence at regional and state levels
- To shorten the duration of the scrutinising procedure
- To create an open structure for inspections
- To develop a platform for authenticating and verifying inspection data
- To ensure that the inspections are completed in an accurate manner
- When a food safety emergency arises, the procedure outlined in the Food Safety and Compliance System must begin.
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New features of the Food Safety and Compliance System
The Food Safety and Compliance System has the following new and improved features:
- Enhanced processing performance with increased traffic handling capacity and a measurable system that can support ongoing modules introduction and enhancement.
- A one-stop FoScoS portal, the Food Safety and Compliance System was created to work with other FSSAI systems.
- The typical licensing change for manufacturers of certain standardised products.
- The main webpage is simple and straightforward, offering intelligent search choices for license eligibility requirements for standardized products.
- A new element for online filing of annual returns.
- For smooth functioning, a FoSCoRIS audit report has now become accessible in the Food Safety and Compliance Network.
- The type of firm determines the necessary documentation they must submit.
- In the Food Safety and Compliance System, there is a clear division of business types; for instance, raw foods and nutritional supplements are part of an independent category under production.
- The licensing, registration, and submission of yearly returns will now be possible on a common platform thanks to this new integrated technology.
Services Offered by the Food Safety Compliance System
The new framework from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India provides the following features to food business owners:
- Heavily guarded Food items Approval Upon Permit or Registration
- Getting Natural Food Stuffs Approved
- Permit for the company's headquarters
- E-commerce, noon meal, and airport licenses
- Permits for Food items Importers and Exporters
- Extension and amendment of licenses for food producers
- Permit for Exclusive Food
- Restaurants license
- Periodical Exporters Returns
- Petty FBO enrollment
- Taking Action in Reverted Requests
- The return of a license
- Relocating of License
How is FoSCoS Food Safety Superior to FLRS?
FoSCoS is identical to Food Licensing and Registration System, so clients can swiftly transition to the Food Safety and Compliance Standard. The key adjustment is the new, standardised product list-based licensing procedure for producers. This will quicken the issuance of licenses and remove errors. Manufacturers of standardised food items must follow a selection-based process called the Food Safety and Compliance Process. Additionally, it provides a component for online Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Annual Return submission. Customers have submitted the returns for the 2019–2020 fiscal years online. The Food Business owners can now submit their returns electronically without including postal penalties. The beginning of this led to the modernisation of required documentation, and they substituted various paper-based statements with tick-based assertions.
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FoSCoS Method for Granting Licensing for Manufacture
The FoSCoS Mechanism of Licensing for Production will operate in a similar manner to the older platform Food Licensing and Registration System due to the paradigm change. Depending on the standardised item list, authorities will grant the license. Only manufacturers of certain products are eligible for this novel license-issuing procedure. They must follow the same process as in the Food Licensing and Registration System for the production of nutritional supplements, customised foods, dietary supplements, and compounds added to food. All additional food-related businesses must adhere to the Food Licensing and Registration System's broad category strategy, including caterer, transportation, and warehousing.
Documents Required
Following are the documents needed to apply for a license or registration with the FoSCoS:
Documents for New Registration Certificate
- Govt-issued picture identification, including an Aadhar card, PAN, or voting identity
- Card, Evidence of a Company's Address (Only in the case when the address on the picture identification is different)
- Picture of the applicant
Documents for Renewal/Modification of License
- Any modification to the paperwork or information submitted when the previous food license was granted
- Adoption of Certification of Food Safety Management System
- Health fitness certifications for all employees of the company
- Information on all the technical staff accountable for the operation
- Any modification to the data or documents submitted for the first application request
Procedure for New Application
With just minor feature modifications, the process for requesting a food business registration or license is comparable to Food Licensing and Registration System.
- Sign in to the official website of FSSAI.
- The dashboards will appear after you sign in to the website.
- Choose the License/Registration choice from the menu provided on the left side of the page.
- Now, choose the Request for New License/Registration choice.
Procedure for Renewal of an Application
Food Business owners can use the Renewal option to seek the renewal of any licenses or registrations that have already been issued. Within 120 days and thirty days before the license's expiration date, they must fill out the renewal application. The complete procedure is available on the FSSAI website.
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Conclusion:
The major goal is to improve the food industry operators' ability to conduct business and to improve customer experience. To ensure a smooth transition from Food Licensing and Registration System to FoSCoS, the States and Union Territories have issued directives for the development of officials' and food business owners' capabilities.
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