FSSAI Implements Quarterly Data Submission for Expired and Rejected Food Products

FSSAI's New Directive to Prevent Rebranding of Expired and Rejected Food:

To prevent the rebranding and resale of rejected and expired food products for human consumption, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has instructed all licensed food manufacturers and importers to submit quarterly data on such items through an online portal. The directive issued on December 16 mandates compliance from food manufacturers, importers, and related entities, including those involved in repacking and relabelling.

Key Areas of Data Reporting:

The FSSAI's directive requires businesses to report on three main aspects:

1. Products Failing Quality Tests: The quantity of products that fail internal quality checks or inspections.

2. Expired or Returned Products: The volume of expired or returned food items from the supply chain.

3. Disposal Records: Detailed records of how these products are disposed of, which includes whether they are destroyed, auctioned, or redirected for alternative uses.

Specific details about the buyers of auctioned products and the waste disposal agencies must also be provided.

Submission of Data via FoSCoS System:

The FSSAI has stipulated that the required information must be submitted on a quarterly basis via the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS). "The submission portal for mandatory data will be available in the near future. In preparation, food business operators (FBOs) are advised to start gathering and organizing the necessary data for each category. This proactive step will enable FBOs to readily provide the data to the food authority as needed and promptly upload it once the submission provision is activated," it added.

Purpose of the New Regulation:

The purpose of this directive is to track the quantity of rejected or expired goods and ensure that their disposal or auction for purposes other than human consumption is monitored in real time. This, the FSSAI noted, helps prevent these products from being rebranded and resold under the guise of cattle feed or other uses.

Specific Requirements for Food Manufacturers and Importers:

"All FSSAI-licensed food manufacturers, repackers, relabellers, and importers are required to implement effective record-keeping measures, accurately compiling and maintaining required records to prevent delays in future submissions," the order stated.

Ensuring Real-Time Tracking of Disposal Actions:

In addition, FSSAI also expressed the desire to track, in real time, the handling of rejected or expired products. "This measure is also being implemented to allow the authority to track, in real time, the quantity of rejected or expired goods and the actions taken regarding their disposal or auction for purposes other than human consumption," the authority noted.

Call for Early Data Collection:

Although the FoSCoS reporting system is still being developed, the FSSAI emphasized the importance of collecting and consolidating data in preparation for future submissions. Once the system is fully operational, the data will be required to be submitted regularly on a quarterly basis, as stated in the latest order.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)