Stricter guidelines for food product imports
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Friday outlined stricter guidelines on food imports with an aim to restrict sub-standard food products entering the domestic market. According to the new norms, no person shall import any food without an import license from the Central Licensing Authority and no food article shall be allowed to be cleared from the custom unless it has 60% shelf life at the time of its clearance from the customs. “In addition, the food importer shall also register himself with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and possess valid import-export code,” the FSSAI said in its announcement. The regulatory body also said that if any importer attempts to import unsafe or prohibited food or food from prohibited sources, directly or indirectly, including re-channelling and re-packing, his or her licenses could be cancelled. FSSAI further said that the food importers will need to submit some mandatory documents, including recall plan and declaration of regulatory status of food in the country of origin, along with the application for clearance. The importers will be required to declare the status of regulation of the product in the location of the parent company as well as the list of transit countries through which the imported food product has been transited before reaching India.
January 16, 2016 | 04:40pm IST
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