FSSAI Amends and Clarifies Non-requirement of FSSAI Registration of Last Mile Delivery Persons

Through a notification dated 19 September 2019 the FSSAI has made some amendments and clarifications in the previous directions issued on 8 July 2019 regarding non-requirement of FSSAI registration of the

• Last mile delivery persons
• Direct Sellers
• Individual food units/ entity owned by single/ main entity.

On 8 July 2019 the FSSAI had issued an order with directions regarding the non-requirement of the FSSAI registration of last mile persons, Direct Sellers, Food Vending Machines, Food ATMs, Branded Food Carts owned by single entity. Subject to the conditions as given in the previous order. (Read the previously givenconditions here http://foodsafetyhelpline.com/fssai-registration-delivery-persons/)

However, now FSSAI has received several representations and based on the various representations received from the stakeholders, the following clauses of the previous order are clarified/amended as below:

• For the term “Direct Selling Agents” the term will read as “Direct Sellers”.
• The following clause

“Main entity shall issue Photo ID Cards, bearing unique identity number and main entity/unit’s FSSAI License number.”

Has been Amended to

“Main entity shall issue Photo ID Cards (digital/physical) bearing unique identity number and main entity/unit’s FSSAI License number. In case ID card does not have the photo of the individual, it must be accompanied with a government issued photo ID card.

• The following clause

“Main entity shall also maintain records of Annual medical Check-up of personnel working for such entities to ensure that no such persons are suffering from contagious disease.”

Has been amended to

“Main entity shall ensure that no such person known to be suffering from any contagious continues to handle food products.”

Further, it is clarified that the said order provides an option and is applicable only to those cases where the main entity accepts the responsibility of regulatory compliance of the last mile delivery persons, Direct Sellers, individual food units/entities etc. In this regard the main entity shall communicate in writing to its individual entities and to the respective Licensing Authorities, its decision to undertake the responsibility of such compliance. In case the option is not exercised, the requirement of FSSAI registration for such persons will be required.