FSSAI plans 24-hour licence issuance for traders, distributors

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) aims to expedite licensing for traders and distributors, and may soon start issuing licences within 24 hours of application, to improve ease of doing business. 

An official familiar with the matter, seeking anonymity, said the FSSAI has included this proposal as part of the government's 100-day agenda. Currently, acquiring a license takes one to two months.

"This initiative is not for manufacturers, but only for traders and distributors. As of now, the time taken for acquiring license even for traders and distributors is one to two months. FSSAI sensed that they don't require so much of time to get a license and it can be provided within a short span," the official stated.

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Under the proposed plan, FSSAI will set up a dedicated digital platform, allowing traders to upload relevant documents and receive licences within 24 hours, the official added.

An email sent to the FSSAI chairperson remained unanswered till press time.

FSSAI licenses, which are mandatory for both exporting and importing food products, are issued digitally with a QR code, which provides access to the details of the licensed or registered entities stored in the FSSAI database. This helps in identifying any fraudulent activity.

All food business operators, including pharmacies selling health supplements or nutraceutical products, must obtain FSSAI registration or a licence.

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Last year, a central advisory committee had recommended extending the validity of FSSAI licences for food business operators from one year to up to five years, eliminating the need for annual renewals. 

The initiative, a long-standing demand of food business operators, was welcomed by the industry for facilitating ease of doing business.

Before the Lok Sabha elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had formed 10 sectoral groups of secretaries (SGoS) to finalize its post-poll 100-day agenda. The move sought to identify 70 critical objectives that will be prioritized by the current government, according to relevance and urgency.

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