What is the Food Safety Mitra scheme

With the second largest population in the world (and likely to become the largest within the next few decades), India promises to be one of the largest food markets in the world. With 32 lakh registered food business operators and unregistered businesses of multitude proportions in the informal economy, it poses interesting challenges and opportunities for the food safety regulations. With FSSAI adopting a paradigm shift in its approach, ways of working and regulation, the focus has shifted to being an “enabler” for the food ecosystem. There is fundamental clarity that working on its own, the scale of impact will be limited and FSSAI needs to engage with and collaborate with a larger set of stakeholders to unlock the true potential of the food sector.

Role of Individuals:

While FSSAI continues to engage with food business, government & non-government institutions, private organizations & the civil society at large, the role of a motivated individual in enabling the food safety could be a game-changer – similar to how individual awareness and action was the key to the success of Swachha Bharat mission. Through Food Safety Mitra scheme, FSSAI plans to engage with motivated individuals to enable the food safety ecosystem from grounds up.

• Opportunity 1: Licensing & Registration
• Opportunity 2: Food Safety Training
• Opportunity 3: Hygiene Auditing

Benefits of Engaging Food Safety Mitra

Employment Generation:- Food Safety Mitras will engage a set of FBOs → 25 lakhs by providing those services such as licensing, registration, hygiene rating and training etc. An FBO will spend less than Rs 2000-3000 for these services resulting in a new service sector worth at least Rs 500 Cr being created.

Ease of Doing Business:- Through Food Safety Mitra scheme, we are creating a transparent, accountable & organized ecosystem supporting food businesses. This will enable FBO to locate service providers in their vicinity, standardized services available and a fair price for use of these services. In case of grievances or queries, we will be creating quick resolution practices & guidelines – thereby significantly improving the ease of doing business for FBOs.

Strengthened Compliance:- As FSSAI improves compliance environment and pushes for regulatory compliance, FBOs will discover trained service pro

viders at fair prices – lowering the costs of compliance. Food Safety Mitra who generates income from these services also has their skin in the game to promote compliance with FBOs. Through a feedback loop, we sustain this transparent marketplace of FBOs and FSMs. FSMS could also play a very important part in ensuring campaign success for different schemes/ goals of FSSAI by creating awareness

Strengthened food Safety ecosystem:- Through Food Safety Mitra scheme, we will create a last mile self-driven & self-employed compliance structure which complements the work of FSSAI and the State food authorities. It also provides an opportunity to FBOs to engage service providers to get quick resolution for their applications, queries, training needs or hygiene rating etc.

https://fssai.gov.in/mitra/loadIndexData
Blogger: Suraj Panpatte
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