License/Registration of FBOs on FoSCoS Portal

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) created the FoSCoS portal(https://foscos.fssai.gov.in/) to ensure a robust platform for license, registration and regulatory compliance. The idea was to enhance the user performance of the application and make the entire process effective and simple to promote ease of doing business amongst the Food Business Operators (FBOs). It also aimed to avoid physical documentation and to streamline business process flows for online applications of FBOs.

- Dr Saurabh Arora*

Remarkably, FoSCoS is going to act as a facilitator as they don’t want to come to the Food Business Operator as a regulator. This is why they have developed a process system that can be used as a tool for self-compliance. Besides, it also wants to spread awareness among FBOs to follow a particular system so that whenever it is required they can come for verification. All manual-based application processes are shifted to an online platform.

Significantly, the Section 31(1) of FSS Act, 2006 states that every Food Business Operator (FBO) in the country is required to be registered/ licensed under the aegis of FSSAI.

Apparently, in order to make applications and grant of FSSAI Licenses / Registrations, FBOs were required to create name-specific login lDs.

Notably, oftentimes FBOs take assistance from third parties for making applications for applying Registration/License. In some cases, the third parties give their email ID and mobile number in the profile window to receive notifications from FSSAI. However, due to non-accessibility of the email id provided at the time of obtaining license/ registration, communication from FSSAI therefore does not reach the FBOs directly.

This in turn leads to lack of clarity among FBOs to file renewal or modification applications for their existing Licenses/Registrations as they did not have login access to online FoSCoS portal.

Subsequently, FBOs also lose access to Consumer Grievances, Improvement Notices, payment of penalties, raising tickets through FBO Help utility etc. which has been made available within the FoSCoS portal for their convenience.