15 July, 2021
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has issued Hygiene Rating Certificates to five sweet shops in Kashmir Division (FSSAI).
These Food Business Operators (FBOs) were rated after a third-party audit was done in 2020 by an FSSAI-approved Food Safety Audit Agency in conjunction with the Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), J&K.
AAR GEE Sweets, M/s. Taj Bakers, M/s. New Janta Bakery, and M/s. Shakti Sweets have all received Excellent Compliance Ratings, while M/s. New Mughal Darbar has received a Very Good Compliance Rating.
Shakeel Ur Rehman, Commissioner, FDA, J&K, stated on this occasion that an assessment of 30 more Food Business Establishments, including 20 meat shops, is currently underway. He stated that it is the consumer’s right to demand safer and healthier food. He further stated that the department is partnering with FSSAI under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 2021-22 to launch specific awareness campaigns on this programme across all districts.
This plan is expected to register 800 FBOs in the current fiscal year. The department has created a detailed Action Plan for this goal and has designated Nodal Officers for each division of the J&K for its all-inclusive implementation.
According to the Commissioner, it is a win-win situation for all stakeholders because increased sanitary standards mean fewer cases of food-borne illnesses. He recommended all FBOs in the categories of cafes, fine diners, restaurants and other dining establishments, candy shops, bakeries, and butcher shops to join this voluntary scheme and reap the benefits.
Hygiene Rating is a voluntary initiative that promotes food enterprises to maintain high hygiene and sanitation standards while also allowing consumers to make informed food choices. This plan currently applies to restaurants, cafes, fine dining establishments, restaurants, and other eating establishments, confectionery shops, bakeries, and butcher shops.
It is a technology-driven, user-friendly method in which food facilities are rated on a scale of 1-5, with 5 indicating Excellent Compliance and 1 indicating Poor Compliance with food hygiene and safety regulations.
With this certificate, consumers can quickly verify the hygiene grade of any restaurant or dining establishment when they visit it and encourage them to apply for the same. One of the key benefits of this plan for Food Business Operators are that after attaining rating, these food facilities are subjected to fewer inspections.
Under this system, if any FBO receives a hygiene grade of 3-4, the regulatory body will not require any inspections for a period of 6 months. Similarly, if the FBO receives a hygiene rating of 4 or higher, the regulatory authorities will not demand any inspections for a year.