Key Features of Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS)

Ashish M. Shaji

07 Dec, 2021

As part of the efforts to get satisfaction for food companies, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India^[1] started the Food Safety Compliance System. FSSAI announced that FoSCoS shall replace the Food Licensing and Registration System (FLRS). In this article, we shall unveil this brand new concept of FoSCoS.

Transition from Food Licensing and Registration System (FLRS) to Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS)

This is an enhanced version of the food licensing and registration system that was launched in 2012 for the purpose of issuing pan-India FSSAI licenses and registration. It evolved incrementally and organically with changing regulatory requirements. The technology used to build it was outdated, with no technical support available.

There were many occasions when users complained of slow speed of Food Licensing, and Registration System and software experts resisted new changes on FLRS, thereby impeding any improvement further or any expansion or any innovation in the licensing system. Therefore the need to change from FLRS to FoSCoS was necessary.

Qualitative Aspects of Food Safety Compliance System

It is built with the the latest cutting-edge technology with a view to have a modern one-stop platform for food safety regulatory needs. It is conceptualized as the umbrella system and is integrated with the FSSAI’s other extant IT platforms like the Food Safety Compliance through regular inspection and sampling, adjudications and penalties, Indian Food Laboratory Network, Audit Management System, Food Safety Mitra, Food Safety Training, etc.

These integrations shall be done in the future until FoSCoS evolves fully from a licensing platform to a unified compliance platform. It has a robust architecture which is capable of future extensions and enhancements.

FoSCoS will be integrated with other platforms of the Indian Government like GST, PAN, MCA, etc., to ease out the processes for businesses and ensure a 360-degree business profiling. 

Objective of Food Safety Compliance System

The overall objective can be summarized as follows:

• To transform the present FLRS, which is a licensing platform, only to a central food safety compliance regulatory platform;
• To build a technically advanced and integrated application that can provide interoperability with other applications capable of high user traffic and can ensure potential upgrades and functionalities;
•  To enhance the performance of the user of the application and make the process of application simpler as well as efficient in order to bring ease of doing business among FBOs;
• To achieve minimal physical documentation and streamline business process flow for FBOs for online application;
•  To ensure and enable the application to have a standardized product approach instead of a text box approach for manufacturers.
• To enable application to seed business specific details to ensure 360 degree profiling and FBOs validation.

What are the Main Features of the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS)?

The following are the new features of FoSCoS:

• Enhanced processing speed with more important user traffic managing capacity. A scalable method structure that can assist prospective upgrades and increase modules.
• It will be a one-stop Food Safety Compliance Portal;
• A shift in licensing approach from the text box approach to standardized product approach for manufacturers;
• The home page is redesigned to make it user-friendly, intuitive and a smart search option for standardized products and eligibility search for any food business is provided;
• There is a new online feature for filing annual returns through the FoSCoS application;
• FoSCoS is integrated with FoSCoRIS to ensure seamless operations. Inspection reports can be accessed by FBOS now;
• Rationalization of required documents KoB (Kind of Business) wise instead of complete set of documents indicated previously in FLRS application;
• Many documents based declarations have been revised to a check box online declaration;
• Clear separation of KoB (Kind of Business) in FoSCoS application. For example- nutraceuticals and novel has been added as separate category of business under manufacturing;
• The FoSCoS application is enabled to seed business specific details that can implement authentication and 360 degree characterization of FBOs;
• These unique policies will allow licensing and certification, and filing of annual statements at a single platform.

Services offered under FoSCoS

The following services are provided to FBOs:

• License for hotels or restaurants;
• License for food production including renewal and modification;
• Certificate of Qualification for petty food business operators;
• Approval for fortified food commodities on registration/license;
• Quarterly return for exporter;
• License for proprietary food;
• Transfer of license;
• Endorsement of organic food products;
• Respond to a reverted application;
• Surrender of license;
• License for mid day meal, e-commerce, seaport, and airport;
• License for business head office;
• License for exporters and importers of food products.

How to use Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS)?

The food business operator, for using FoSCoS application, may either create sign up using the unique mobile ID and e-mail ID or use the same login details as used for FLRS.

The FBOs may follow the following guidelines to register in FoSCoS:

• An FBO can access the official web page of the FoSCoS and click “Signup” option from the homepage;
• By clicking on signup, the FOB will be redirected to the signup page and provide all details and click on signup;
• A verification code will be sent to the registered email and registered mobile number;
• Furnish the verification code in the box provided and click on submit;
• After signing up successfully, FBO can log into the system easily.

For registration of petty FBOs-

• Click on option- Apply for Registration Certificate after logging in;
• After verifying OTP select the application for new registration option;
• A new page will open and then provide all details in the application for petty FBOs registration;
• Finally, submit the application.

For new application (FSSAI Registration/License)-

The process of applying for food business registration is same as FLRS with minimal changes. After logging in to the portal, the dashboard will be displayed. Click on the license/registration option and select “apply for new license/registration.”

Select the head office as KoB details and choose appropriate kind of business applications according to the food business to be conducted. It may be noted that the user should submit the details in Form B.

Conclusion

The Food Safety Compliance System is expected to enhance the performance of the user of the application and make the process of application simpler as well as efficient in order to bring ease of doing business among FBOs.

Read our article:Process of FSSAI Registration through Food Safety Compliance System(FoSCoS)