Tighter record norms for food businesses

In a sweeping change that will impact nearly five million food businesses in India, the country's food regulator plans to tighten food safety compliance norms by mandating daily production and storage records to be maintained by such units.

- Dhirendra Kumar

The new norms are part of a proposal made to the World Trade Organization (WTO) wherein the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it plans to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011, to require food operators to maintain daily records of raw materials, ingredients, work-in-progress, and finished food products.

FSSAI has stated that its objective is to strengthen food safety monitoring and traceability by improving documentation of production and storage practices, according to the notification, reviewed by Mint.

Such daily documentation will help ensure real-time visibility into food-handling practices across the supply chain, a government official said on condition of anonymity. Clearer documentation could also reduce disputes during inspections.