FSSAI has issued directions dated 16 April 2020 regarding extension of Provision of Provisional NOC (P-NOC) to other imported food products in view of the lockdown due to COVID-19. FSSAI has partially modified its earlier direction dated 3 April 2020, wherein to ensure uninterrupted food service supply and to further facilitate trade during lockdown due to COVID-19, the FSSAI had decided on the issuance of Provisional No Objection Certificate.
It had been decided that for the consignments of Imported Crude Oil (Edible grade) and Food Grains, the importer would have to submit an undertaking/declaration in the form (as given below as Annexure) to the concerned Authorised Officer and the Authorised Officers were directed to carry out visual inspection on the same day without delay. Upon satisfactory visual inspection, the Authorised Officer shall draw samples and issue Provisional No Objection Certificate (P-NOC) without waiting for the analysis report form the laboratory. Upon receiving the analysis report, and if the product conforms to the FSSAI standards, then the Authorised Officer shall issue the final No Objection Certificate.
These directions were to be valid till 15 April 2020 but the validity period has now been extended to 30 May 2020 or till further orders in this regard, whichever is earlier.
Annexure
Declaration regarding the issue of provisional no objection certificate for Imported Crude Oils (Edible grade) and Food Grains
(To be printed on the Letterhead of the FBO/Company)
To
The Authorised Officer, FSSAI
<Port of Import>
Dear Sir,
I/We ……………………. resident of ………………. (as Proprietor/Partner/Managing Director/Director/Authorised Signatory) of M/s ………………………………………… are an importer of ………<Name of Food Items> …. in the consignment imported vide………… <Bill of Entry> …. dated………at……. <Port location> ………. request, you to issue provisional NOC for the same.
I/We hereby undertake to comply with the following terms and conditions on behalf of the importing firm/company as under:
(i) The entire consignment under above mentioned Bill of Entry will be retained in a storage facility at …… <address of warehouse> …. and no part of the consignment shall be released into the market prior to issuance of final no objection certificate;
(ii) Both customs and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India have the right to inspect the said storage facility at any time to ensure that the consignment is held securely till the no objection certificate is provided by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India;
(iii) In the event of non-compliance of any rules, regulations made under FSS Act, I/We shall be fully responsible to move the cargo back to Customs jurisdiction and comply with all the norms for destruction/re-export as may be decided by the Competent Authority;
(iv) In case of non-compliance of any of the above norms, I/We will not be eligible to avail of the above-mentioned facility in future. Besides, I/We will be liable for a contravention of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and rules ®ulations made thereunder.
Signatures of the Importer with Stamp/Seal
Name:
Address:
Contact Nos:
Place:
Date:
Source: FSSAI
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