FSSAI Food License

All about the Food Safety Mitra (FSM) Scheme 2021

To increase the ease of doing business, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is part of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has launched the Food Safety Mitra (FSM) Scheme 2021. The Food Safety Mitra Scheme was established primarily to assist small and medium-sized food businesses in complying with food safety rules by offering licencing and registration, hygiene ratings, and training.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is commemorating World Food Day by implementing new efforts to enhance food safety administration and scale up the “Eat Right India” programme. FSSAI is developing an ecosystem of food safety mitras to assist FBOs with FSSAI licensing and FSSAI registration, as well as teaching and auditing hygiene at various institutions like schools, universities, and corporate campuses.

Anyone who is interested may now fill up the Food Safety Mitra Scheme online registration/application form on the official website.

Who is a Food Safety Mitra?

A Food Safety Mitra (FSM) under the Food Safety Mitra Scheme is an individual who receives training and certification of FSSAI to execute tasks pertaining to the Food Safety and Standards (‘FSS’) Act, Regulations, and Rules implementation on behalf of Food Business Operators (‘FBOs’). People can now apply online to become a Digital Mitra, a Hygiene Mitra, or a Trainer Mitra. The online registration procedure for the FSM Scheme 2021 has already begun at the official website www.fssai.gov.in/mitra/ .

All interested applicants should review the FSM scheme eligibility, duties, and responsibilities before getting registered. The certification procedure and the renewal information must be looked at.

What exactly is the Food Safety Mitra Scheme 2021?

Recognizing the necessity to assist small FBOs, FSSAI has created the Food Safety Mitra Scheme, which will support FBOs with licence and registration, training, and hygiene rating. 

FSSAI seeks to establish a last mile self-driven & self-employed compliance structure via Food Safety Mitra Scheme that complements the efforts of FSSAI and the State Food Authorities, through this multi-layered ecosystem responsive to the demands of FBOs.

Advantages of the Food Safety Mitra Scheme

Category of Food Safety Mitra

Each Food Safety Mitra has a unique job responsibility. The Food Safety Mitra Scheme 2021 includes Digital Mitra, Trainer Mitra, and Hygiene Mitra positions:-

• Digital Mitra – With IT abilities, Digital Mitra can manage digital aspects such as new application for Licence/Registration, amending applications, filing FSSAI annual returns, and so on. To support FBOs with their compliances on FSSAI’s web portals.
• Trainer Mitra – Training Mitra is in charge of training food safety supervisors, providing training for eating right and training food safety staff at campuses. It provides training to FBOs on the basis of Food Safety Act, Regulations, and implementation.
• Hygiene Mitra – The Hygiene Mitra would be in charge of hygiene audits. They are also in charge of training food safety supervisors & food handlers on safe and sanitary food handling techniques. They conduct FBO hygiene ratings using a technology-enabled transparent audit method.

Code of conduct under the Food Safety Mitra Scheme

Eligibility Criteria under Food Safety Mitra Scheme

The following criteria needs to fulfilled under Food Safety Mitra Scheme as per the following categories:-

Eligibility Criteria Digital Mitra

• Applicants must be between the age of 21 and 60 years.
• The candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university.
• The candidate must be familiar with computer operations, the internet, and so forth.

Eligibility Criteria Trainer Mitra

The educational requirements for a Trainer Mitra at various levels having good communication skills and a bachelor’s degree in food technology, science, food science, microbiology, biology, chemistry, or a related field is required. Further requirements are as follows:-

• The Basic Level – having a minimum 5 years experience in catering, manufacturing, retailing industry.
• The Advanced Level – having a minimum 7 years experience in catering, manufacturing, retailing industry.
• The Special Courses – having a minimum 7 years experience in Fish, Milk, Meat & related sectors.

The prerequisites for training experience as a trainer and implementation experience at various levels also differ and shall be looked upon by the interested candidate.

Eligibility Criteria Hygiene Mitra

• Applicants must be between the age of 21 and 60 years.
• A bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management, Catering Technology, Bio-Technology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Food, Dairy, Fisheries, Oil Technology, Agricultural Sciences, or Veterinary Sciences from a recognised university is required.
• The candidate must be familiar with the FSSAI laws and regulations.

Note: Candidates with expertise of hazard identification, hygienic & sanitary practises, processing techniques, analysis or control of pollutants and allergies would be given preference.

Roles and Responsibility of a Food Safety Mitra

The Food Safety Mitra’s tasks and responsibilities are as follows:-

Digital Mitra

• Online submission of a new registration or licencing application.
• Online application for registration or licence change.
• Annual returns can be filed online.
• Submission of online applications for product/label/advertisement claim approval.
• Submitting an online appeal for the revocation of a suspended registration or licence.

Trainer Mitra

• To provide training at Eat Right Campuses;
• To train food safety supervisors; and
• To teach food safety workers in businesses on demand.

Hygiene Mitra

• Conducting hygiene audits of Food Business Operators (FBO) locations in accordance with requirements.
• Assisting FBO with hygiene guidelines implementation.
• Educating food safety supervisors and food handlers on sanitary and safe food handling techniques.

Food Safety Mitra (FSM) Scheme Online Application Form 2021

The following is the entire application procedure for the Food Safety Mitra (FSM) Scheme 2021: –

1. Go to the official FSM scheme webpage at www.fssai.gov.in/mitra/ 
2. The online ‘FSM Registration’ application form for the Food Safety Mitra (FSM) Scheme will appear.
3. Applicants can pick the FSM type (Digital Mitra, Trainer Mitra, or Hygiene Mitra) and provide additional information below. Applicants must also complete the FSM Registration data such as login information, FSM (Food Safety Mitra) information, qualification information, experience and training information.
4. Lastly, applicants can finish the FSM scheme online registration procedure by clicking the “Register Yourself” option.

Certificate Issuance for Food Safety Mitra

• If selected, the claimant must finish the online training.
• After completing the course, the candidate must present for CBT at one of the listed test centres.
• The digital Mitra certificate is provided upon satisfactory completion. It will be renewed every 2 years. 
• Based on the service given by the FSM to the food company operator, the FSM will need to go through intermediate training.

Cancellation of Certification for Food Safety Mitra

The Food Safety Mitra will take a security deposit of Rs.5000 at the time of certification. In case the Food Safety Mitra wishes to withdraw from the program, the security deposit will be reimbursed to the Food Safety Mitra within a certain time frame.

Concluding Remarks

By involving skilled and motivated people in the food ecosystem, the Food Safety Mitra Scheme will result in hassle-free regulatory compliance for food businesses, new economic opportunities for individuals, and improved FSSAI and State Food Authorities’ ability to unlock the food sector’s growth potential.

The Food Safety Mitra Scheme will act as a community for many stakeholders to identify one another, therefore improving the convenience of conducting business. FSMS would also provide a strong last mile footprint for food control and security. Food Safety Mitra will be a significant strategic effort as part of the wider Eat Right India movement, with 50,000 FSMs to be accredited over the next 5 years.

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