FSSAI mandates quarterly reporting of expired, rejected food items

Food safety regulator FSSAI has ordered licensed food manufacturers and importers to submit quarterly data on rejected and expired food items through its online compliance system FOSCOS to prevent their resale for human consumption.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) directive, issued on December 16, also applies to repackers and relabellers.

The new reporting requirements cover three key areas: quantity of products failing internal quality testing or inspection; volume of expired or returned products from the food supply chain; and detailed records of product disposal, including destruction, auction, or alternative use, with specific buyer and waste disposal agency information.

The move is aimed at preventing rebranding and resale of expired and rejected food items for human consumption under the guise of cattle feed.

This initiative will enable real-time tracking of rejected or expired goods and their subsequent disposal or auction for non-human consumption purposes, FSSAI said.

While the FOSCOS (Food Safety and Compliance System) reporting function is still being developed, the regulator has asked food businesses to begin collecting the required data to ensure readiness for submission when the system becomes operational.  Earlier this month, the food regulatory body FSSAI has reclassified packaged drinking water and mineral water as a high-risk food category, mandating stricter regulatory controls and annual facility inspections. This move, became immediately effective following an order dated November 29, requires manufacturers to undergo mandatory third-party food safety audits and comply with enhanced quality standards.