India has always been a great host of multiple cuisines owing to its love for food and the desire to serve. With the food market covering a wide range of people of varying strata, the food industry in India has seen a rapid expansion and development contributing significantly to the growth of the economy of the nation.

Securing Food Safety

In order to control the operations involving commercialization of the food and its products in India, the Government enforced the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (hereinafter referred to as the "Act"). The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (hereinafter referred to as "FSSAI") is the authority established under the Act for monitoring the effective implementation of food laws in India. It is responsible for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, to confirm availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption and for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Food Safety tags by Restaurants

The FSSAI enforced its guidelines dated February 15, 2018 regarding the requirement of the restaurants to display food safety tags at prominent places in the premises. However, it was observed failure on the part of the restaurant owners to fulfil the said obligation. In furtherance of the non-compliance to its aforesaid order, FSSAI has issued order dated September 19, 2018 that all restaurant owners shall display the Food Safety Display Boards at prominent places of the premises indicating FSSAI license number as per the prescribed format with a view to ensure adherence to the food safety norms.1

The said order clarifies that display boards need to be printed and displayed at the entrance, reception or building area of every restaurant.

It has further stated that in case the restaurant owners do not abide by the orders set out by it by October 15, 2018, strict punitive actions would be imposed.

FSSAI keeps a strict eye on the operators of food business to ascertain that the standards set by the legal framework governing food safety are duly observed. Considering the vitality of food - the key element of this industry responsible for the nourishment, life and survival of mankind, the interests of the consumers is of primary importance. FSSAI provides an exhaustive framework for monitoring the quality of the food being served for the citizens of the country. The judiciary has opted for stringent measures regarding food safety whereby any violations of the standards fixed by the FSSAI challenging the safety of the consumers could also entail punitive liability under the provisions of criminal laws.2

Footnotes

1 https://www.fssai.gov.in/home/compliance/compliance-orders.html

2 State of Maharashtra vs. Sayyed Hassan Sayyed Subhan [SC Criminal Appeal No.1195 Of 2018 dated September 20, 2018.

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