Govt schools seek help in FSSAI registration

MUMBAI: Primary government schools in Maharashtra have sought the intervention of the education authorities to sort out challenges in registering for a licence through the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

MUMBAI: Primary government schools in Maharashtra have sought the intervention of the education authorities to sort out challenges in registering for a licence through the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Problems arose after directions were issued for schools to complete FSSAI registration and obtain licences in connection with food safety and the school nutrition programme.

Schools have been instructed to register on the FoSCoS portal but the Maharashtra Rajya Prathamik Shikshak Samiti says the portal does not provide a separate category for primary schools. In a letter to the education authorities, the teachers’ body also says the portal seeks details that are not applicable to government and local-body schools, such as ownership and capital investment, which apply to private food businesses.

Vijay Kombe, state president of the teachers’ body, said, “Schools are prepared to follow food safety rules but the department should provide guidance on how the registration should be done.”

The letter also points out that there is confusion over whose name should be used for registration. In many local-body schools, the headmaster is being asked to complete the registration rather than the school or local self-government body.