Food safety regulator FSSAI has ordered licensed food manufacturers and importers to submit quarterly data on unapproved and expired food items through its online compliance system FOSCOS to prevent their resale for human consumption. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) directive issued on December 16 also applies to repackers and relabelers.
The new reporting requirements cover three key areas: the quantity of products failing internal quality testing or inspection; the volume of products expired or returned from the food supply chain; and detailed records of product disposal, including destruction, auction, or alternative use, with specific purchaser and waste disposal agency information.
The move aims to prevent rebranding and resale of expired and unapproved food items for human consumption in the guise of animal feed.
FSSAI said the initiative will enable real-time tracking of rejected or expired commodities and their disposal or auction for non-human consumption purposes.
While the FOSCOS (Food Safety and Compliance System) reporting function is still being developed, the regulator has asked food businesses to start collecting the necessary data to ensure preparation for submission when the system becomes operational.
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