FSSAI Again Extends Date for Mandatory Food Safety Audit of Food Business

Through a notification dated 19 October, 2020 the FSSAI has extended the date for the mandatory Food Safety Audit of food business under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulations 2018.

Through its order dated 13 August 2019 the FSSAI had first mandated food safety audits for food businesses that fall in the high-risk category. Since the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is still prevalent, so the FSSAI has decided to extend the last date of such mandatory audits to 31 December 2020. The FSSAI has directed the food businesses to get such mandatory audits of their premises conducted by 31 December 2020.

Under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulations, 2018 the FSSAI has prescribed mandatory audits for food businesses holding Central Licenses and falling under the hight risk categories. The FSSAI has mandated that all FBOs who fall under the following six categories of food businesses as per FLRS shall be subject to mandatory food safety auditing.

The FSSAI has now given the last date as 31 December 2020 by when FBOs, that have the above-mentioned food businesses, must carry out mandatory food safety auditing of their premises. In September 2019 the FSSAI had clarified that though it was important that the complete chain from manufacturing, transport, storage, packaging etc, follow good hygiene practices but in the initial stages only those food businesses involved in manufacturing and processing sector under the product categories mentioned above need to get their premises mandatorily audited.

Further as per Part III Section 8 (3) of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulations 2018, the food businesses subject to mandatory food safety auditing in the above mentioned six food categories, are directed to get their food business audited from a recognised auditing agency, at intervals as specified by the FSSAI.

Source : FSSAI