FSSAI notifies Food Safety and Standards (Food Recall Procedure) Regulations, 2017

New Delhi, Jan 30 (KNN) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSIA) has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Food Recall Procedure) Regulations, 2017, under which will be followed by every food business operator.

The objectives of the food recall procedure is to ensure removal of food under recall from all stages of the food chain in accordance with section 28 of the Act; ensure dissemination of information to concerned consumers and customers; and ensure retrieval, destruction or reprocessing of food under recall.

These regulations will apply to the food or food products that are determined or prima facie considered unsafe and/or as may be specified by the Food Authority from time to time.

For example, the food articles which require the mandatory mention of statutory warnings related to consumption being “injurious to health” may not be treated as unsafe food as part of any recall plan unless they are specifically determined unsafe and injurious to health.

Under the Regulations, the recall process shall also be initiated as a result of reports or complaints referred to the food business operator from any stakeholder and if food business operator determines that there are a need to recall.

In case the food business operator does not respond to the complaint, the complainant or the consumer may inform the Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI or Commissioner of Food Safety of the State or Union territory or both who will take steps to determine the need for recall and instruct the concerned food business operator regarding the recall, who shall be bound by such instructions.

The Regulation mentions that all the food business operators in the entire food chain must implement the instructions relating to food recall. Failure to do so shall render the food business operator liable to action as provided under the Act or the rules or regulations made thereunder.

“A recall of imported food may also be initiated on the basis of reports of health and food authorities, or from information received from such authorities or if it otherwise comes to the notice of the concerned authority,” says Food Safety and Standards (Food Recall Procedure) Regulations, 2017.

Also, the food business operator is now required to maintain the food distribution records which include the names and addresses of suppliers and customers, nature of food, date of purchase, date of

delivery, lot number, batch code, pack size, brand name, date of manufacture, date of expiry and best before date, and shall maintain such records for a period of one year from best before date or the expiry date, as applicable.

In case of alcoholic beverages where declaration of best before date is exempted under food safety regulations, one shall maintain records for a period of two years from date or month of supply from the manufacturer.

The Regulation says that the food business operator shall stop distribution of food under recall and also stop its production if necessary, without waiting for any instructions from the CEO, FSSAI or Union territory so as to ensure that consumer safety is not compromised and he shall contact everyone from the raw material vendor to the final consumer of the affected food by written communication, phone, e-mail, fax, or a combination thereof, notify the suppliers and any other relevant retailer or trade association and immediately identify all required product details along with any additional details which would facilitate speedy identification and recall.

The notification has been made effective from January 18, 2017. (KNN Bureau)