Introduction
The apex body to regulate food safety in India is the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. However, the regulatory authority has made it compulsory for transporters engaged in the food supply chain to obtain FSSAI License to facilitate safe transportation of food items in the country.
Types of FSSAI Licenses issued for Transporters
FSSAI issues different types of licenses for transporters depending on the nature of their operations:
- Central License: Transporters transporting food articles from one state or to another state or country.
- State License: Transporters within the state.
- Import/Export License: Transporters that import and export food items.
Visit:
Eligibility Criteria of FSSAI License
In order to obtain a transporter FSSAI license, the following conditions are required to be met
- Registration with the concerned Authority: The transporter is required to be registered with the state or central government authorities who are concerned.
- Adherence to food safety standards: The transporter must comply with all applicable food safety standards and regulations.
- Infrastructure: The transporter must have such infrastructure related to the vehicle, storage place, and hygiene practice so that food safety is maintained during transportation.
- Trained Personnel: The transporter must have trained personnel who are well aware of food safety practices and regulations.
Procedure to Obtain a License under FSSAI
The procedure to apply for an FSSAI license is as follows.
- Online Application: The same can be submitted online by logging into the FSSAI official website
- Documents: All documents should accompany the application, which can include
- Proof of registration from the concerned authority
- Details of transport vehicles and facilities
- Information about food items that are being transported
- Declaration of the act of compliance with food safety standards
- Inspection: FSSAI officials inspect the facilities of the transporter to ensure that all is in order and meets the codes.
- Issue of License: As if the license is issued, then FSSAI will issue the license.
Documents Required
Some of the commonly required documents to obtain an FSSAI license are as follows. They differ depending upon one type of license and sort of transportation activity. However, the following are some common ones.
- Registration Certificate: The applicant has registered with the concerned government authority.
- Vehicle Documents: Registration certificates, insurance policies, and fitness certificates pertaining to all transportation vehicles.
- Details of Storage Facility: Details of location, size, and conditions of food storage facilities.
- Hygiene Practices: Document hygiene practice and procedure in place during transport
- Training Certificates: Training certificates of staff personnel carrying out food transport.
- Fees: Payment of the fee, as decided by the FSSAI, for each category. Relevance of FSSAI License
FSSAI license is significantly required for all transporters that manage food supply chains. The license ensures all the transporters meet the needs of good and safe food safety, ensuring customer confidence and smooth running operations. A valid FSSAI license will even help business development and partnerships.
FSSAI Regulations on Transportation of Food
The FSSAI has guidelines on transporting food. This spreads over a lot of areas including:
- Vehicle Sanitation: Sanitation and hygiene in transport vehicles.
- Temperature Management: Proper temperature management of perishable products.
- Packaging and Marking: Suitable packaging and marking to prevent contamination and ensure intactness of the product.
- Separation: Separation of food groups to avoid cross-contamination.
- Emergency Measures: Having a contingency plan in place for emergencies including accidents and break-downs.
Challenges and Best Practices
Many transporters face big issues to follow the rules of FSSAI. A few common challenges are mentioned below:
- Infrastructure: Providing appropriate infrastructure for transportation with safe food, which must comprise of refrigerated vehicles and proper storage facilities for food.
- Training: Providing adequate training to the people dealing with food transportation, so that they follow the standards of food safety.
- Documentation: Proper record maintenance for all the transportation activities and never commit violations of the rules. Best Practices Transporters should, therefore, adopt the following best practices to overcome these challenges and ensure compliance with FSSAI regulations
- Infrastructure Investment: Modern transportation vehicles and modern storage facilities shall be made available which would meet the requirements of FSSAI.
- Training: Regular training sessions may be conducted for people who handle food and transportation.
- Quality Management Systems: In the very beginning, carry the quality management system to ensure that it complies with food safety standards.
- Monitoring and evaluation: monitor and evaluate the transportation practices by identifying and improving the place.
- Maintaining Relationship with Regulatory Authorities: Good relationships would be sustained with FSSAI officials and other regulatory authorities.
Emerging Trends and Challenges
The food transportation industry has continuous evolving and what transporters need to know with the emerging trends and challenges in this industry include:
- E-commerce and Food Delivery: The development of e-commerce and delivery services of food have increasingly made the demand for efficient and reliable food transportation. The operations need to change in response to meeting new requirements for these sectors.
- Cold Chain Logistics: The more the requirement for perishable food items grows, the need for cold chain logistics increases. Transporters would have to invest in refrigeration vehicles and maintain temperature at the time of travel.
- Traceability: Traceability of food products is now the key-from farm to fork. Transporters need to ensure systems are in place to track the movement of food items and hence keep accurate records of the same.
- Sustainability: Sustainability and then the food industry is gaining prominence. From the side of transporters, sustainability can be in the form of lowering carbon releases and reduced waste.
Challenges and Best Practices
Infrastructural problem: the most daunting challenge facing transporters under the new regulations include:
- Infrastructure: Installation of adequate infrastructure, such as refrigerated vehicles and storage facilities, is costly.
- Training: Training the staff handling food transportation is very costly and time-consuming.
- Regulatory Compliance: The regulations over food safety change very frequently.
- Emergency: The transporters need to prepare for accidents, breakdowns, or any natural calamity.
To overcome all these issues, transporters should adopt the following best practices:
- Regular Audits: Regular audits must be conducted on the transportation operations.
- Technology Adoption: Harness technological solutions in GPS tracking and temperature monitoring systems to increase efficiency and compliance
- Partnerships: Mutual engagement with other interest parties in the food chain, including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, towards the betterment of food safety
- Continuous Improvement: Implementing quality management systems and soliciting suggestions from customers as well as regulatory authorities towards continuous improvement.
Conclusion
An FSSAI license is very essential in maintaining transporters involved in the food supply chain within India. By following FSSAI regulation and best practices, the transporters ensure safe and efficient transportation of food products with proper public health and a robust foods industry. Remaining updated with present trends and challenges enable the transporters to adapt their respective business activities according to the changing market demands, thereby keeping them ahead of the competition curve.
Read Our Blog- Demystifying FSSAI: Registration vs. Licence for Your Food Business
Share This Post
