The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is known for its strict standards. And this afternoon, it freezed the licenses of 3 FMCG brands after a routine inspection led to the discovery of multiple violations.
FSSAI Crackdown: FSSAI Suspends Licenses of 3 Brands Over Multiple Food Safety Violations
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is India’s main regulator for the food and beverage segment, temporarily revoked the licenses of 3 brands, citing non compliance with the FSS Act. In an Instagram post, the regulator said that it had suspended the licenses of all 3 brands with immediate effect. This is not the first time it has taken legal action against FMCG brands.
FSSAI Crackdown: List of Affected Brands
The following FMCG brands in India had their licenses revoked from FSSAI today:
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Naryani Food & Beverages
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Zaiqaa Organics Private Limited
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AB Enterprise
So far, none of the above mentioned FMCG brands have released an official response to the license suspension.
Why did FSSAI Target These Brands?
The main question in this case is – Why did the FSSAI decide to suspend the license of the above mentioned brands? Well, officials from the reguilaty body held routine inspections and uncovered multiple violations.
For Narayani foods, the unit had unsatisfactory cleaning and sanitation of the premises and equipment, contamination of the tap water area with algae and rust and the corrosion of equipment.
While in the case of Zaiqaa Organics Private Limited, there were severe hygiene concerns. “Storage facilities did not permit adequate maintenance and cleaning or prevent pest access and accumulation. Raw materials and finished goods were placed in unhygienic conditions without proper segregation. Rust and corrosion were observed on processing equipment”, FSSAI stated.
AB Enterprise was guilty of violations – making misleading claims of benefits on the product labels & carrying out daily food operations without the requisite manufacturing equipment.
“A Personal Hearing was subsequently issued before suspension of the FSSAI license, as required under the FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, providing the FBO a reasonable opportunity of being heard. However, no reply or further communication was received from the FBO till date.The FSSAI License granted to A. B Enterprise, Meghalaya, has been suspended with immediate effect under the FSS Act, 2006. and the FBO is hereby directed to stop all food business activities until further orders in the matter,” the regulator said.
FSSAI Crackdown: What is FSS Act?
Created by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is the main law regarding food safety, quality, and regulation in India. It sets clear rules for manufacturing, processing, distributing, selling, and importing of any food products in India.
