Food Import Clearance Process by FSSAI

Food Import Clearance Process by FSSAI

With a growth rate of 7.3 percent in 2019, India is recounted to be one of the fastest-growing economies in the world (World Bank, 2018). Food is one of the fastest rising sectors among various sectors which has contributed to the growth of the Indian economy. The main reasons are rising in middle-class and per capita income, diversification of food habits, and greater consumer awareness. There is also an increase in demand for imported food products due to lowering tariffs under trade agreements such as with the Association of South East Asian Nations. All these factors are responsible for growth in the consumption of imported food products in India.

To ensure safe imported food is made available to consumers, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has notified Food Safety and Standards (Import), Regulations in 2017. To streamline the process of clearance of imported food in an efficient and transparent manner. FSSAI has appointed Authorised officers at various ports to keep a check on the process through the Food Import Clearance System (FICS).

The Food Import Clearance System is an online system for clearance of food imports, it is integrated with Customs ICE-GATE (Indian Customs Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange (EC/EDI) Gateway) under SWIFT (Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade).

  1. It simplifies the process for CHA’s (Custom House Agent) /Importers to:
    • Register online.
    • Apply for NOC without visiting any FSSAI Office and make payments for testing.
    • Track status of their application.
  2. It facilitates Authorised officers/Inspectors of FSSAI to:
    • Process applications for NOC.
    • Ensure timely sampling and inspection.
    • Generate No Objection Certificate (NOC).
  3. It helps FSSAI Headquarter to:
    • To monitor the overall operations of the ports.
    • Analyse the risk associated with importing countries.
    • Generate MIS reports.
  4. It facilitates Labs to:
    • Update test results in the system.
    • Invoice FSSAI for payment.
    • Communicate with other labs.

On arrival of the food consignments at the port, the CHA/food importer shall file an Integrated Declaration Form as specified by the Customs. The Form forwarded from Customs to the Food Import Clearance System of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

Process Flow for Food Import Clearance

After the scrutiny by the FSSAI, if the sample is found conforming to the safety and quality standards, then No Objection Certificate (NOC) is generated and if not conforming, then Nonconforming Report (NCR) is generated and shared with the CHA/food importer.

The Form of the food product, when referred to FSSAI for clearance by the Customs Authorities, is subjected to the scrutiny of documents by the officers, visual inspection, sampling, and testing in order to decide whether or not they conform to the safety and quality standards established and laid down under various Food Safety and Standards Regulations.