Introduction
FSSAI is the primary regulatory body that is responsible to ensure food safety and quality standards in India. The license is essential to start business in the manufacturing, processing, storage, or distribution and sale of food products. This includes spices.
Types of FSSAI Licenses for Spices
The factors classify the type of FSSAI license that a spice business requires. These are determined on the scale of operations, nature of business, and the kind of spices one trades. There are two types of licenses.
1. Basic FSSAI Registration: This kind of registration is provided for small-scale businesses that are registered under the Rs. 12 lakhs turnovers.
2. State License: This is allowed to those businesses which come under the category of having an annual turnover between the value of Rs. 12 lakhs and the Rs. 20 crores.
3. Central License: For applying to businesses which have an annual turnover of more than Rs. 20 crores
Primary FSSAI Licence Terms
To obtain the license to conduct any FSSAI business in the trade of spices, one must meet all the following requirements,
- DROC: The entity of the business shall be registered at a State or Central License approving authority
- FSSA Standards Compliant: The unit of the business will require to comply with all standards of Food safety and hygiene.
- Clean and Hygienic Facilities: the manufacturing, processing, and storage facilities shall be clean and hygienic.
- Trained Personnel: The business must have trained personnel who understand the proper practices of hygiene and food safety.
- Appropriate Labeling: Proper labeling shall be done regarding the latest information about contents, net quantity, the date of manufacture, expiry, and details regarding the manufacturers
- Traceability: In order to ensure traceability in the movement of the ready product, along with traceability in source raw material, proper record-keeping shall be ensured.
Step for Obtaining FSSAI Licence through Filing FSSAI License Application End
General process to apply for an FSSAI license is as below:
1. Online Application: FSSAI prepares the application online through the Food Licensing and Registration System (FoLiR).
2. Submission of documents: Which includes:
- Copy of identity and address document
- copy of business registration documents.
- Information related to the manufacturing and storage of the facility.
- Information of spices being processed and packaged
- Quality checks and quality control
3.Inspection: FSSAI officers may inspect the premises for maintaining food safety and hygiene norms.
4.License: FSSAI issues the license after sanction of application
Why an FSSAI License is Important?
An FSSAI License is important as:
• Legal Compliance: The FSSAI license is essential as spice business without one is illegal and incurs severe penalties and fines.
• Consumer Safety: FSSAI license is a document which proves that spices are being taken by the consumers with their safety for intake, with requirements and norms fulfilled.
• Entry to Markets: An FSSAI license allows an easy, genuine entry into domestic as well as international markets.
•Brand Reputation: Spotless FSSAI registration is good for the repute and trust of a brand of spice business.
Issues and Best Practices
Some of the issues being faced by the spice industry include:
- Adulteration: The adulteration of spices with harmful substances is a major issue.
- Contamination: Contamination by microorganisms or pesticides can affect the quality and safety of spices.
- Storage and Transportation: Proper storage and transportation are required to maintain the quality of spices.
These challenges can only be addressed if the spice manufacturers adopt these best practices:
- Obtain Quality Raw Materials: Obtain raw materials from suppliers who have a good track record of supplying quality material and ensure that their quality is assessed.
- Good Manufacturing Practice: This will include maintaining the principles of GMP to achieve hygiene and safety of products during manufacturing.
- Storage in Adequate Conditions: It should be clean, dry, and free from pests.
- Raw Material and Finishing Products Quality: checks on them at all times will ensure that the quality of raw material, as well as finning products, is maintained in order to ascertain quality.
- Labels on Spice Products: Ensuring truthfulness and accuracy on product labels at all times.
- Traceability : Maintenance records for tracing spices throughout the various stages from sources to consumers
- Employee training: Train workers regularly regarding food safety and hygiene at all times.
Food Technologies: The Future of Canning
The food industry has been undergoing a change and this change is felt and witnessed in every step beginning from the farm to fork. Production and processing on one hand, packaging to consumption on the other had all witnessed tremendous change.
IoT, AI, and robotics in precision agriculture enable farmers to understand production and consumption of crops together with proper usage of inputs. Farming will use data collection from soil to weather pattern conditions and analysis of their plants’ conditions to make decisions at the production stage so yields could be increased in a low-impact manner on the environment.
Food Processing and Preservation
Advanced Techniques Used in Food Processing: This includes high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field and ultrasound processing, which were being used to preserve food in terms of quality and have a longer shelf life
Innovations in food packaging: Smart packaging methods have been developed to allow the freshness and safety of food to be maintained up to the time-temperature indicators and active packaging of food.
Food Safety Quality Control
• Blockchain Technology: Blockchain trace the food chain from the farm to the fork. This technology provides complete transparency and traceability.
• Sensor Technology: The parameters that involve temperature, humidity, and gas levels in the sensors measure the food for safety and quality.
• Artificial Intelligence: AI can identify the food contamination or spoilage through it.
Personalized Nutrition and Dietary Supplements
• Genetic Testing: Genetic testing can enable one to understand what a person requires in terms of nutrition and enable customized diet recommendations.
• Personalized Nutrition Plans: This is achieved through technology by formulating age, gender, lifestyle, and health goal-based individualized nutrition plans.
• Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals: These provide benefits above the basic nutrition; they offer health benefits.
Food Delivery and E-commerce
• Online Food Delivery: Online food delivery markets have altered the way most people are eating.
• Meal Kits: Convenience of pre-cooked meal kits, helping consumers to emulate restaurant meals in their place.
Opportunities and Challenges
Food technology advantage lies in the consumer,however, its challenge is as below
- Consumer Acceptance: Consumers not willing to embrace new technologies along with the food products
- Regulatory Barriers: It becomes challenging to administer a tough regulatory regime.
- Ethics: Interference with food production mechanisms remains one of the aspects of genetic modification and synthetic biology that is relevant today.
But above all this, there is a bright future ahead for food technology. The innovation and concern with the ethical issues can give this world an efficient, nutritious, and more sustainable food system in the generations to come.
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