Rules and Regulations by FSSAI for Meat Shops

Ashish M. Shaji

08 Feb, 2021

For all Meat and Fish shop that are running in India all states, mandatorily require applying for FSSAI License.

Why has FSSAI License been made mandatory for Meat & Fish shop?

Many people in India are used to eating non-vegetarian food for their daily meals. In fact, across Uttar Pradesh, non-vegetarian cuisine is quite popular. Many domestic and international travellers visit various cities of this state to enjoy the sumptuous non-vegetarian cuisine. However, none of us was aware that the way the animals were kept and butchered in the slaughterhouses was beyond imagination until brought to our attention. Poor hygiene and mistreating animals was a common scenario. However, with the change of government, a lot of improvements are taking place.

According to the new law, all slaughterhouses and butcher shops operating illegally for many years have been directed to close their operations immediately. To reopen their business, they would have to take proper licenses and follow guidelines laid by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India). Anybody found operating without proper permissions and guidelines are subject to legal action. It is advisable to obtain FSSAI License if you are operating a meat / Fish shop in India.

As per the laws, any shop that gathers ten animals a day would fall under the category of the meat shop. Anybody other than that is called a butcher house. To operate within the current laws, all these shops have to renew their licenses or are required to get new permits to keep their business running. According to FSSAI, all meat shops and slaughterhouses are required to run their shops as per below guidelines:

• All shops need to apply for FSSAI registration to run a meat or slaughter shop.
• They need to be compliant with all the rules and regulations laid down by the authority.
• They need to maintain animal welfare to ensure proper hygiene is achieved.
• Only goat, sheep, pigs, bovine, poultry, and fish are allowed to be slaughtered. Killing any other animal apart from these is considered illegal.
• Proper animal welfare is to be maintained during the transportation of animals.
• Infrastructure upgrades to existing shops to maintain hygiene standards is essential. Hence, all the roadside meat shops need to shut down their business.

FSSAI License for Running Meat Shops and Slaughterhouses

In the current scenario, all meat shops are running under the licenses provided by the civic bodies. However, with new laws in practice, all state food commissioners and urban body secretaries are required to issue or renew licenses to all of these shops. Meat shops would no longer be permitted to operate unless they are registered or acquire a mandatory license from the Centre.

How to maintain meat products as per FSSAI guidelines?

There are certain measures laid down by the FSSAI that should be followed when it comes to meat storage and handling. Some of them are as follows:

• Fresh meat must be chilled in between 0 to 7 degrees and the frozen meat must be stored at -18 degrees or below.
• Meat products must be stored under proper labelling and with adequate segregation with a view to maintain the temperature control at the storage time.
• The storage containers should be made of non-toxic material.
• There must be an adequate supply of water and facility should be in place for safe and clean storage of water.

Documents for availing new FSSAI License for meat shops

To operate as FBO (Food Business Operator), here are some documents that needs to be submitted for new FSSAI license:

• Form B must be completed and duly signed by the authorized signatory.
• A blueprint/layout plan of the premises showing dimensions in meters/sq. (if in manufacturing and processing business) is required.
• Complete details of the directors/proprietors/partners or trust (only for companies) is required.
• An entire list of machinery and equipment that will be used for food production or the processing is required.
• Photo ID’s and address proof of authorized signatories must be submitted.
• Ownership proof of the premises (water bill/electricity bill/sale deed/rent agreement) must be submitted.
• Partnership deed in case of partnership firm or self-declaration of proprietorship. Three important documents are to be provided: Incorporation Certificate, Food Business Operation Authorization, and list of all directors/partners/proprietors along with their details.
• In the case of cooperatives, a copy of the certificate obtained under the Coop Act 1861/ multi-state Coop act -2002.
• Complete plan of food safety management or certificate
• For meat shops or meat processing units, the source of raw materials must be produced.
• No objection certificate from the municipal corporation of the state
• Certificate issued by Ministry of Commerce certificate
• Financial proofs determining annual turnover
• NOC issued by FSSAI
• DGFT issuance of Import/Export code
• Form IX – Company nomination of persons along with board members
• Declaration form

Documents for FSSAI License Renewal of Meat shop

• For renewal of FSSAI License, Form B completed and duly signed by the authorized signatory;
• Declaration regarding the food safety management system/annual audit report/certificate;
• Form IX – Company nomination of persons along with board members;
• Declaration form.

Fee Structure- FSSAI license for Meat shop:

• Annual charges of Rs 7500/- for new license issuance
• Annual charges of Rs 7500/- for license renewal
• Duplicate license – 10% discount on total annual charges for license issuance

All licenses can be modified, issued, or renewed for five years. The FBO’s needs to apply for the issuance of license.

Significance of the rules and regulations by FSSAI

The information to be filled are available online, application forms are also on the FSSAI website^[1], along with the form for all the documents to be submitted to the local authorities within 15 days. Once the documents are submitted, proper verification will be done by the officers. If found negligent, licenses will be denied; otherwise, the license will be issued by FSSAI. To operate the business, the business owners must follow the complete guidelines laid by the Food Authority Department.

Before issuance of licenses, various departments would also carry out checks like Municipal Corporation, food safety authority, police as well as a veterinary doctor. All of the meat shops and slaughterhouses will also need to mention the source of procurement of animals.

All the rules and regulations have been imposed to enforce proper safety and maintenance of hygiene standards. Food is an important part of our lives. With new diseases evolving, it is becoming all the more important for us to eat clean and healthy food. As a daily consumer, we don’t have many options to check the safety meter of a particular food item. Fortunately, there are agencies like FSSAI that makes this possible for us, especially in regards to meat products. We can be assured that if a food product has an FSSAI mark, it is tested and certified to be consumed.

Conclusion

Going forward, every food operator in India needs to have a proper license to run their food businesses. Anybody found operating illegally should be ready to bear legal actions.

Do you wish to register for FSSAI License? Are you looking for the Food License Advisory? Would you like to know about the FSSAI laws? Please feel free to contact Enterslice, India’s Leading online legal and tax advisory firm.

Read our article:Why FBOs follow FSSAI Compliance?