FSSAI says that any non-compliance with food safety protocols will be viewed with utmost seriousness, potentially leading to severe action
Highlighting that food safety is of paramount importance, G Kamala Vardhana Rao, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) told representatives of leading ecommerce platforms in a meeting that any non-compliance with food safety protocols will be viewed with utmost seriousness, potentially leading to severe action.
In the meeting held at FSSAI headquarters in New Delhi and attended by over 70 representatives from leading ecommerce platforms, the CEO underscored the critical importance of food safety in the rapidly expanding ecommerce marketplace.
He directed all ecommerce entities to prominently display their FSSAI license, registration numbers on every receipt, invoice, and cash memo provided to consumers. They were also asked to display information regarding the Food Safety Connect app on all consumer-facing documents.
The official statement noted that a key emphasis was also placed on the necessity for ecommerce entities to disclose comprehensive details of all warehouses and storage facilities linked to their operations on the FoSCoS portal. The possibility of displaying the “date of expiry, use by” for food products at the consumer interface was also discussed.
It was further mandated that all food handlers involved in the process, including ecommerce personnel, must undergo compulsory FSSAI FoSTaC (Food Safety Training and Certification) training in hygiene protocols.
As per the official statement from FSSAI, the necessity for all warehouses associated with ecommerce operations to be duly registered or licensed by FSSAI was strongly reiterated. Additionally, ecommerce platforms were directed to share data pertaining to their warehouses, food handlers, and other relevant information with the FSSAI.
The FSSAI emphasised that food safety is a collective responsibility, and every entity involved in the supply chain, from manufacturing to home delivery, is liable for compliance. The statement added that a collaborative approach is essential to ensure the entire process is extremely safe for consumers.
