The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which unites multiple acts and instructions that worked with food-related problems in different governmental agencies previously. The FSSAI was created to define science-based food safety standards articles and to control their production, preservation, transportation, marketing, and importation in order to ensure that human beings have access to safe and hygienic food. The FSSAI is an autonomous organization. The FSSAI’s administrative ministry is the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The FSSAI has its headquarters in New Delhi.

Features of FSSAI.

1. FSSAI as a solitary reference point for all matters connecting with Food Safety and Standards, Regulations and Enforcement.
2. Incorporated reaction to vital issues like Novel food varieties, Health Foods, Nutraceuticals, GM food sources, global exchange and so forth.
3. Accomplish a serious level of buyer trust in quality and security of food.
4. Satisfactory data scattering on food to empower purchasers to settle on an informed decision.

Functions of FSSAI.

1. For the functioning of FSSAI is divided into two committees-
2. Scientific Committee- It deals with the issues related to food standards.
3. Central Advisory Committee- It deals with the issue related to inspection & compliance.
4. FSSAI has sent off numerous web-based drives to further develop Food Standards and Safety in India.
5. Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) to supplant existing Food Licensing and Registration System.
6. RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) initiative- Under this Total Polar Compounds (TPC) of Vegetable oil is restricted to 25 percent. Past which the vegetable oil will be gathered and changed over into Bio Diesel.
7. Aside from these, FSSAI additionally sent off drives, for example, Eat Right India, Save food Share food and so on.

FSSAI Registration.

Each food business administrator engaged with the assembling, handling, capacity conveyance, and offer of food items should necessarily acquire FSSAI Registration or License.

FSSAI Registration is unique in relation to the FSSAI License as in relying upon the size and nature of the business, FBO ought to acquire the vital enlistment or permit.

It is a 14-digit enrollment or a permit number that is imprinted on all the food bundles. The 14-digit enrollment number gives insights concerning the gathering state, maker’s grant.

Types of FSSAI Registration.

1. FSSAI Basic Registration – FBOs having a turnover of under Rs.12 lakh per annum should get FSSAI fundamental enrollment. The FSSAI enrollment structure that the candidate needs to fill to acquire FSSAI fundamental enlistment is Form A.
2. FSSAI State License – FSSAI State License – FBOs having a turnover of more than Rs.12 lakh per annum and under Rs., 20 crores per annum ought to obtain the FSSAI state grant.
3. FSSAI Central License – FBOs having a turnover of more than Rs.20 crore per annum should acquire the FSSAI focal permit. The FSSAI enlistment structure that the candidate needs to fill to acquire FSSAI focal permit is Form-B.

Registration process

Step 1. It is started by the accommodation of Form A (application) to the food and security division.

Step 2. The application might be acknowledged or dismissed by the division within 7 days from the application date.

Step 3. On the off chance that the application is acknowledged, an enrollment endorsement will be conceded by the division alongside the enlistment number and the photograph of the candidate.

Step 4 Conspicuously, FBO should show the endorsement of the enlistment in the business environment during business hours.

Now, a question arises, is Agmark certification & FSSAI the same? Let’s see the difference between them.

What is Agmark?

Agmark, or Agriculture Mark, is the affirmation imprint to guarantee the nature of agrarian items in India.

Agmark goes about as an outsider assurance for the rural items that are delivered and consumed in India.

• The framework follows its starting point to 1934, where Archibald MacDonald Livingstone, Agricultural and Marketing Advisory to the Government of India, recommended that this accreditation come into power to help the nearby cultivators and forestall excessive double-dealing by the sellers of the produce. The head office is in Faridabad.

Features of Agmark.

1. This is given by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, of the Government of India for agrarian items.
2. It covers quality rules for in excess of 200 distinct wares going from heartbeats to cereals, from medicinal balms to semi-handled food like vermicelli.
3.  The application processes are done online through the stage made by the National Informatic Center (NIC).
4. AGMARK affirmation is deliberate with the exception of eatable vegetable oils and fat spread which is required according to FSSAI Regulations, 2006.

Functions of Agmark

1. Ranchers are befitted as the state offers more endowments to those items that convey the imprint.
2. Promoting the item tracks down a lift.
3. The nature of the item is supported by excellence of legal consistency.

Agmark registration

The whole Agmark framework was made by Archibald Livingstone, the Agricultural and Marketing Advisory to the Government of India during the period 1934-1941. This affirmation guarantees that the horticultural items in India adjust to the arrangement of principles supported by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, a Government of India organization.

As of now, the Agmark norms cover more than 200 farming things including beats, vegetable oil, cereals, and other semi-handled products. This mark additionally consolidates agricultural things and food and refreshments that are altogether delivered/part of the way made and halfway created.

Agmark registration process

• For Agmark enrollment disconnected, you can visit the closest office of the Director of promoting and Inspection (DMI) to acquire the Form A. Here, you should apply for the giving of an Agmark enlistment declaration and approval for evaluating and stamping of items in the homegrown market.
• While presenting the Agmark enrollment application structure, you want to outfit the vital records. To be aware of the documentation measures of the Agmark enrollment method, kindly allude to the segment above
• While presenting the Agmark enlistment, you likewise need to present the important Agmark enrollment expenses. The Agmark enlistment expenses will differ as per the item for which the application is documented. The all out Agmark enlistment expenses will likewise rely upon other autonomous factors like handling charges, reviewing charges, and so on
• Prior to confirming and reviewing a product advised under Agmark, a candidate should satisfy the accompanying circumstances
• They should have the framework important to deal with the item.
• They should have their own research center or should approach a supported lab for reviewing. Assuming they approach a supported research center, they need to outfit the assent letter from it in Form A-3.
• On gathering these qualification measures, they ought to apply to the DMI for giving the Certificate of Authorization.
• The power, after fruitful consummation of the confirmation cycle, will concede the testament. The whole interaction takes around 30 to 40 days to finish.
• According to the Agmark enlistment rules, an appropriate testing of both the unrefined components and the handled item should be done by an endorsed scientist
• After the evaluating and accreditation, the field officials from DMI would likewise direct intermittent quality checks. For this, they would contrast tests given by the packer and those accessible on the lookout.
• The examples would be dissected in Regional Agmark Laboratories. In the event that the reviewed product isn’t viewed as in adjustment to the endorsed principles, activity as considered fit would be taken against the packer.

Difference between FSSAI & Agmark