What is FSSAI?
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is a government-established authority under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2006 bearing the responsibility of protecting public health through supervision and regulations of food safety. Its registration is a mandatory process for any Indian company willing to start food businesses in India. A food license is issued by the authority which authorizes a brand to get legal permission to sell food commercially. The FSSAI has six regional offices and its headquarters in New Delhi. The Act consolidated the laws laying down science-based standards for food articles and regulate their manufacture, sale, storage and import to ensure food safety and wholesome consumption for consumers. Before its enactment, the following laws managed food security in the country:
- Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947
- Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
- Fruit Products Order, 1955
- Meat Food Products Order, 1973
Its composition consists of a Chairman appointed by the central and 22 other members wherein one-third must be women.
Registration process
The Food Safety and Standards Authority set rules and guidelines, grants license, tests standard for food, audit, spread awareness for food safety, maintains record and data and updates the government authorities for further changes. There is a 14-digit registration or license number that is printed on all the food packages. The number gives details about the state producer permit for food operators engaged in retail shops, temporary stalls, dairy units, meat, fish and vegetable processing units, cold storage facilities, hotels, bars, canteens, importers and exporters, other e-commerce food suppliers, etc. The registration is based on the turnover, business types and capacity of production which are classified into three types of licenses such as basic license, state license and central license. Registration can be obtained from the online portal of the FSSAI registration form. The registration can be accepted or rejected by the Department within 7 days from the date of receipt.
Types of licenses
The registration process requires licenses which are classified into three categories named central license, state license and basic registration. Under basic license registration, a turnover of less than Rs. 12 lakh per annum must be obtained. The State License can be obtained when a turnover of more than Rs. 12 lakh per annum and less than Rs. 20 crores per annum must be obtained. Under the Central License, the FBOs should have a turnover of more than Rs. 20 crores to obtain a central license. In general, the businesses engaged in manufacturing, import and export dealing in large-scale food businesses and FBO with small to medium-sized manufacturing units, marketers, transporters, traders, etc need to take the FSSAI registration from the state government with the required license.
A basic license costs Rs. 100, a State license costs Rs. 2,500 to 5,000 and the Central License fee costs Rs. 7,500. The applicant is informed by SMS/ email alert at many stages of the application process by the FSSAI.
Benefits of FSSAI license
License registration provides the businesses who have registered with legal benefits, food safety, consumer awareness, goodwill and expansion. The FSSAI logo on the food products helps in quality assurance of customer satisfaction. The number displayed also indicates that the food is verified with quality standards and regulations. Any person registered and licensed under the FSSAI has to adhere to the rules and regulations under the FSS Act. The food safety officer generally inspects the food and identifies the level of compliance with the regulations.
What is the Electricity Regulatory Commission?
The electricity sector is divided into three divisions namely transmission, generation and distribution. The electricity sector is constituted of both the public and private sectors. In a generation, private utilities generate 46 per cent of power in the country, with state utilities at 30 per cent and central ones at 24 per cent. Electricity is a concurrent list subject matter and is sharing powers and responsibilities between Central and State. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission controls and regulates tariffs for generating companies owned or controlled by the Central Government and for the inter-State transmission of electricity with an inter-state dimension. The State Electricity Regulatory Commission regulates the transmission of supply, wheeling and generation of electricity.
Acts and Rules for Electricity supply
The Electricity Supply Act of 1948 was established as an integrated body controlling and supervising the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. The Act acts as a backbone of the electricity infrastructure and has helped control 70 % of the electricity generation and distribution by 1991. The State Electricity Boards (SEBs) were set up by the Act of 1948 which was essentially engaged in state pricing ministries and financial dependence. Both the Acts came up to depoliticize the sector and incentivise private investment. The Electricity Act of 2003 was also set up to consolidate the changes in the electricity sector and has brought two key changes – generation was delicenced and SEBs were separated into uni-functional utilities. The Act provides advice on technical and safety standards for this sector. Section 61 under the 2003 Act provides guidelines and principles for tariff policy determined by the Central and State Electricity Commission.
Conclusion
The electricity sector has faced various challenges and issues and is continuing to lack independence and irregular tariff at the state level. The Central government has expressed a shift toward regulations and has extended greater responsibility to citizens and businesses. Whereas if we compare the challenges faced by FSSAI such as lack of funding, ensuring proper license, testing in the laboratories, re-evaluations as per the international standards, etc. the authority has brought important initiatives such as Eat Right India to provide quality foods to everyone, Clean Street Food involving street food vendors and to make them aware of the violations under the Act 2006, Diet4Life to spread awareness about metabolic disorders and many other policies and strategies to encourage consumerism and avoid malpractices.
Byjus https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/fssai-food-safety-and-standards-authority-of-india/
FSSAI https://fssai.gov.in/cms/about-fssai.php
FSSAI Food License https://www.fssaifoodlicense.com/get-food-license-india-fssai/
Tax Guru https://taxguru.in/corporate-law/all-about-food-safety-and-standards-authority-of-india-fssai.html
CPRA https://cprindia.org/briefing-note-central-electricity-regulatory-commission/
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