FSSAI states that giving false or misleading information in annual returns will attract severe penalties under Section 61 of the FSS Act 2006
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked all Food Business Operators (FBOs) to ensure accuracy in their annual return submissions. The food safety regulator has reiterated that giving incorrect or misleading information will attract penalties.
“FSSAI reiterates that providing false or misleading information in annual returns will attract severe penalties under Section 61 of the FSS Act 2006. FBOs urged to ensure absolute accuracy in all submissions. Compliance with requirements is paramount for a safe food ecosystem,” FSSAI posted on X.
Earlier, the FSSAI wrote to food safety units of all the states and sensitized about the mandatory compliances. In December 2020, FSSAI mandated the filing of annual returns for the financial year 2020- 21 onwards exclusively through the online FoSCoS platform. These returns capture key information, including mandatory production details and currently non-mandatory compliance-related data.
FSSAI noted that to verify the credibility of the information, all licensing authorities must scrutinise the annual returns submitted by eligible FBOs under their respective jurisdictions. Further, in case of detection of any discrepancies, inconsistencies, or false declarations upon scrutiny, necessary actions shall be initiated as per the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and applicable regulations.
In addition, the FSSAI drew attention to its order dated 8th January 2024, which introduced the provision in FoSCoS for FBOs to revise or update the already submitted annual returns to rectify inadvertent mistakes.
