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India is the homeland for various cultures. Each culture has its own unique cuisine with some mouthwatering dishes. South India is famous for its idli sambar, while North India is famous for its parathas with pickles. The Indian food market is enormous, and due to this, it becomes necessary to have rules and regulations for this market.
The food that is enjoyed and loved by the masses has to be safe for consumption. To ensure the same, the Government of India has made it an obligation for the businesses dealing in food to supply and serve only the food which is safe and does not cause any harm to the general public upon consumption.
Now, the question is ‘How does the Government of India ensure that the food consumed by the general public is safe?’. To ensure this, the Government of India has taken initiatives to prevent any harmful food products from being traded in the food market. FSSAI and FPO are two such initiatives.
In this article, we will discuss the difference between FPO and FSSAI.
FSSAI is short for ‘Food Safety and Standards Association of India’. It is an autonomous statutory body which is responsible for maintaining the food safety and standards in India. FSSAI is administered by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. FSSAI functions as per the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006. FSSAI regulates the manufacture, storage, sale, distribution and import of food products and establishes standards for ensuring food safety.
FPO is short for Fruit Products Order (FPO). The Fruit Products Order, 1955 was promulgated under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. FPO mark is applied to the fruit products which are sold in India. FPO mark is a mandatory certification mark which has to be applied to all the processed fruits products sold in India, including pickles, fruit syrups, squashes, fruit jams and dehydrated fruits products. The FPO mark was followed by the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006. This mark is issued by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, which is an authority for developing safety hygiene standards. This mark is issued to the processed food manufacturers and ensures that their food products are manufactured in an environment which is hygienic and safe for food.
FSSAI AND FPO both have the same goal i.e. to ensure food safety and hygiene. But what are the differences between the two of them? Let’s find out with the help of the table given below:
|
FPO |
FSSAI |
|
|
Year of Enactment/Establishment |
FPO was enacted in the year 1995, but it wasn’t until 2006, that the ‘FPO mark’ was made mandatory to obtain (under the FSSAI Act) |
FSSAI came into existence in the year of 2006 (under the FSSAI Act) |
|
Purpose |
FPO was intended for businesses that were involved in the manufacturing of fruit-based products. |
FSSAI has made it mandatory for all business operators in the Indian food industry to obtain FSSAI license. |
|
Objective |
FPO was enacted with the objective of ensuring that the quality of all the fruit-based products manufactured were safe & healthy for the general consumption and met the specified quality standards for manufacturing of such fruit-based products. |
FSSAI was established with the aim to monitor, approve, and set standards for business operators in the food industry. This authority plays a crucial role in ensuring that the food for human consumption is safe and healthy. In addition to this, the FSSAI Act has helped to combine all other existing food organizations into a single governing body. |
|
Status of the Act |
The status of Fruit Products Order (FPO) has been redundant ever since FSSAI was introduced. |
Till date, the FSSAI Act is in force and continues to be the single point of reference for all food safety standards in India. |
The scope of regulation in regards to FPO is limited to the fruit-based products only. FPO ensures the quality and safety of such products. FPO focuses on the manufacturing, packaging, labeling and storage processes which are specifically concerned with the fruit-based products.
As opposed to FPO, FSSAI covers a wide range of food products which includes dairy, meat, vegetables, beverages, pulses, grains and more. FSSAI sets regulations for the whole food supply chain in the country and covers and controls the foods’ hygiene, labeling, packaging, additives, contaminations and nutritional standards.
FSSAI issues three different types of certificates based on the annual turnover of businesses. These are the 3 FSSAI certificate types:
The FSSAI certification is required to be obtained by the businesses mentioned below:
The FPO mark is necessary to be obtained by the manufacturers that deal in the manufacturing of the following products:
The FPO mark certification is issued by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, which develops the food safety and hygiene standards to be followed at the time of food processing. The FPO mark certification is required for the manufacturers involved in the manufacture of fruit-based products. To apply for this certification, the manufacturer has to submit Form-A to the Ministry.
The FSSAI certification is required for the food businesses and the certificates are provided to such businesses based on their scale of operation. FSSAI License helps to ensure that the businesses are in compliance with the food safety standards and quality regulations set by FSSAI. The food business operators can obtain FSSAI certification by filling FSSAI registration form i.e., Form A for application for Basic Registration or Form B for application for State and Central License and submit it on the FoSCoS portal of FSSAI, under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
FPO and FSSAI are both important initiatives taken by the Government of India for ensuring food safety and quality. While FPO only deals with the food-based manufactured products, FSSAI deals with the entire food industry and regulates the manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale, etc. of meat, dairy, fruits, grains, vegetables and so on. Understanding the distinction between FPO and FSSAI is really important for the businesses in the Indian food market to ensure their compliance with the appropriate standards and regulations and obtain the necessary licenses for their businesses.
Businesses who have FSSAI certificate or FPO mark are considered to have safe and healthy products due to which they gain consumer trust. Need assistance in obtaining an FPO mark or FSSAI certificate for your business? Get in touch with the Registrationwala team now, for a smooth and hassle-free process.
Hey there, I'm Dushyant Sharma. With the extensive knowledge I've gained in past 8 years, I have been creating content on various subjects such as banking, insurance, telecom, and all the important registration and licensing processes for various companies. I'm here to help everyone with my expertise in these areas through my articles.
