An Overview of FSSAI License for Industrial Canteen

According to one definition, Industrial Canteen is in the food industry. For a firm to lawfully operate in India, it must have an FSSAI licence and certificate, according to Section 3 (1) (n) of the Food Safety and Standard Act of 2006. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, governs how FSSAI functions.

This is India's main regulatory authority for the food industry. The FSSAI operates as a decentralised government organisation with affiliates in each state. The organisations that collaborate with local governments to structurally carry out health inspections, food inspections, & restaurant inspections are the local affiliates of the FSSAI.

Reasons for the need for FSSAI License for Industrial Canteen

To continue producing and selling food, all departmental canteens, tiffin rooms, etc. located in different central government buildings were thus obliged to get licences. The government canteens would be required to maintain a level of food if they obtained an FSSAI licence since a lack of one has frequently caused consumers of such canteens to express frustration. In industrial canteens all around the country, there are numerous instances of messy corners, dirt, and a lack of care for cleaning up garbage.

The Food Safety & Standards (Licensing & Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, require that the various managing committees register or get an FSSAI licence. For the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006, the responsible officers contact the FSSAI. Recently, the Ministry issued an order to all central government ministries.

No one may start or operate a food company without an FSSAI licence, according to the FSS Act. There are registered canteens & tiffin rooms operating in various central government buildings across India right now. The health of thousands of students is at risk since government-run canteens in educational facilities function in unhygienic circumstances.  

Who Needs FSSAI Certificate?

Any firm that sells consumable commodities like food or other items, regardless of their size (micro, small, medium, or big), must obtain an FSSAI licence. However, the FSSAI licence ensures that whatever goods the company sells are safe for consumption by people. All certifications and licences also guarantee the safety of the environment, public health, and society at large.

The Plight of Workers & Food

Industrial employees in India have a variety of issues. Long work hours and poor diet are two of these issues. Similar to how conditions surrounding long hours and laborious work are progressively improving, industrial employees, including technicians, foremen, mechanics, & assembly line workers, are always at risk for malnutrition and a lack of a balanced diet.

These workers' inability to concentrate on healthy nourishment to sustain their bodies is solely due to low pay. Most workplaces and industrial facilities have fairly run-down canteens that provide food that is hardly nourishing.

FSSAI & Industrial Canteen

The labour organizations in India have been fighting against this for a very long time. It was ultimately made essential to establish industrial canteens in 2006 as a result of the growth of the FSSAI, which can now guarantee food safety and health safety.

For factories & assembly lines, industrial canteens and their kitchens are often in-factory units that prepare and serve meals for the workers of those units. These facilities are typically drab, dusty, and inadequately equipped. Furthermore, given the circumstances, even the food served is seldom edible and frequently lacks the proper nutrient profile. It is partially because no one cares about the well-being and growth of industrial employees.

What is being offered under the shed of FSSAI?

FSSAI Certificate

It is the ideal accreditation for small- to medium-sized food enterprises. Businesses that successfully complete an audit & food safety inspection undertaken by a Food Safety Inspector are awarded the FSSAI certificate. To qualify for this certificate, a company must also have a turnover of fewer than twelve lakhs.

The FSSAI Licence

It is the standard license given to companies once they successfully complete their audit and the Food Safety Inspector's inspection for food safety. Additionally, this FSSAI licence is available to companies with a revenue of between twelve lakh & twenty crores.

Central FSSAI Licence

A food & health inspection service agency has also given its approval for the company's compliance with safety requirements, making it a top-tier license that the FSSAI grants to businesses that have completed their audit and inspection. For companies that operate across India and have a turnover of more than twenty crores, this FSSAI licence is necessary.

Documents Required for FSSAI Registration under the State & Central

The following documents are needed for the FSSAI registration under the State & Central:

• Proprietor/properly Partner's completed and signed Form A & Form B.

• Self-attested copy of the applicant's Pan card. The company's PAN card is also necessary for the event of a partnership firm or company.

• Address Verification from the applicant. Address evidence for the partnership or corporation, as well as address evidence for the authorised representative

• Two passport-sized images of the applicant and a designated representative

• Registry and Rent Deed a copy of the company's or firm's registered office

• On the letterhead of a certain firm, corporation, or trust is a list of the directors, members of the society, partners, and trust.

• A list of the machinery and equipment installed in the building.

• If an application is operating as a repacker or relabeled, a partnership deed, an affidavit of ownership, a memorandum of agreement, or an AOA must be submitted.

• The Ministry of Personnel has issued the directive stating that canteens must adhere to a regulatory framework for making, storing, distributing, and selling food in order to assure its safety.

Conclusion

According to the Food Safety & Standards (Licensing & Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations 2011, it is now required for vegetable, fruit, and Dhaba sellers, tea vendors, industrial canteens, grocery stores, hotels, caterers, restaurants, and food processors to obtain the food safety licence (FSSAI Licence).

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of the Government of India is responsible for the organisation. The FSSAI wants to decrease issues related to the low-quality food being given to customers and maintain health & safety, which is why they have such strict laws in place.