Food regulator FSSAI on Friday made it mandatory for manufacturers of packaged drinking water and mineral water to take BIS certification for obtaining license or registration from the authority.
In a letter to Commissioner of Food Safety of all states and Union Territories, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has given this direction, which will come into effect from April 1, 2021.
FSSAI said that as per Section 31 of FSS Act 2008, all Food Business Operators (FBOs) have to obtain license/ registration before commencement of any food business.
Further, Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations 2011 state that no person should manufacture, sell or exhibit for sale, packaged drinking water and mineral water except under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification mark, the regulator added.
However, FSSAI said it has been reported that a number of manufacturers of packaged drinking water and mineral water are in operation with FSSAI license but without BIS certification mark.
“To ensure compliance with the availability of BIS license by the manufacturers of packaged drinking water and mineral water, it has been decided to make BIS license/application for BIS license a precondition for issuing FSSAI license,” FSSAI said in its order.
The regulator has laid down the procedures for issuing FSSAI license to packaged drinking water and mineral water makers.
FBOs will have to mandatorily upload copy of the BIS license or copy of letter indicating recording of application for BIS license, at the time of applying for new license for packaged drinking water and mineral water from the FSSAI on the online portal.
After obtaining the BIS license, the FBO should furnish its details in online annual return.
BIS license will be a mandatory document while applying for renewal of FSSAI license.
“In the event of closure of rejection of application for license by BIS, the FBO should inform the concerned licensing authority and the FSSAI application/license is liable to be rejected/suspended/ cancelled,” the order said.
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