The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has updated its standards for submitting applications for obtaining vegan logo endorsement.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has updated its standards for submitting applications for vegan logo endorsement. These guidelines supersede those issued on July 25, 2022, for the submission of applications for the endorsement of vegan logo formats.
The Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2022, has been notified and came into force w.e.f. its publication in the official Gazette. According to Regulation 5 of the FSS (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2022, the Food Authority will provide rules and applications for the Food Business Operator to submit in order to authorise the vegan logo.
The Food Business Operator shall submit an application in FORM-A along with necessary documents and a fee of Rupees Twenty Five Thousand (excluding GST) payable through the online e-payment portal (https://epay.fssai.gov.in/fps/loadindex).
The Food Authority shall scrutinize the application and the information the applicant provides. The Food Authority may direct the applicant to submit additional supporting documents, data, or clarifications if required. The Food Authority may either approve or reject the application, as per FORM-B.
The Food Business Operator may file an appeal before the Chief Executive Officer of the Food Authority against any decision to reject the application within thirty days of receiving the rejection letter. The Chief Executive Officer shall dispose of such appeal within thirty days of receipt, and any delay beyond this shall be allowed with reasons to be recorded in writing.
The Chief Executive Officer may allow the appeal after thirty days if there is sufficient cause for the delay.
A Food Business Operator who is aggrieved by the decision of the Chief Executive Officer of the Food Authority may file a review petition to be placed for consideration by the Chairperson of the Food Authority within a period of thirty days of its receipt and any delay beyond this shall be allowed with reasons to be recorded in writing.
Provided that the Chairperson may allow the appeal after the period of thirty days if there is sufficient cause for the delay.
The Food Authority may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, suspend or revoke any approval granted to any business operator. The Food Authority may review, from time to time, the amount of fee for applying.
If a food business operator has any reason to believe that the vegan food for which the approval has been granted poses any health risk or has not complied with the general requirement specified under sub-regulation 3 of FSS (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2022, the Food Business Operator shall immediately suspend the manufacture, import, sale, or distribution of such article of food and take steps to recall the same under intimation to Food Authority in accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standard (Food Recall) Regulations, 2017.
Food Safety Officers and Designated Officers shall immediately inform the Food Authority of any complaint received regarding the safety of any product approved by the Food Authority under FSS (Vegan Food) Regulations, 2022.
After the grant of approval, The food business operator shall apply for a license as per the procedure specified in the Food Safety and Standard (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011.
Download complete FSSAI’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for obtaining the endorsement of Vegan logo here.
