FSSAI asks food biz operators to submit data on expired food

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Friday issued an advisory to food business operators (FBOs) to submit data about expired or rejected food and the action taken on it to ensure that it is not rebranded and sold again for human consumption. Under the existing regulations, it is mandated that food business operators ensure segregation for the storage of raw, processed, rejected, recalled or returned materials or products which will be distinguishably marked and secured.

"In order to ensure that rejected/expired food items are not being rebranded and sold for human consumption under the guise of cattle feed, a new provision is being introduced in the Food Safety and Compliance System for the quarterly submission of information by FSSAI licensed food manufacturers including re-packers, re-labellers and importers," the FSSAI said.

FBOs will have to maintain a record of the quantity of the food products that have failed to meet quality standards during internal testing or inspection and have been rejected for sale and the quantity of the food products that have been expired or returned from the food chain due to expiry or other quality issues.