PANAJI
The Directorate of Food and Drugs administration has informed that food safety and standards authority of India has mandated the online submission of annual returns through food safety compliance system (FoSCoS-HTTP://foscos.fssai.gov.in) for food businesses involved in manufacturing and importing of food products, w.e.f. F.Y. 2020-21. All licensing authorities have been directed to refrain from insisting on physical submission of annual returns and ensure that food business operators (FBOs) are well informed and facilitated to file the online returns only through FoSCos. As per clause 2.1.13 (3) food safety and standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, any delay in filing return beyond May 31 of each year, will attract a penalty of Rs. 100 per day of delay. Licensing authorities are directed to ensure its enforcement and will impose penalty on defaulter FBOs in case of non – submission of annual returns for FY 2020-2021 till extended date August 31, 2021. Further, the provision for submission of online penalties accrued on FBOs due to non submission of annual returns is integrated in FoSCoS and expected to be live soon. FBoS are directed to use this functionality to pay online penalties in case they fail to submit their online returns by August 31.
