Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS)

Last updated : March 9th, 2023 05:05 pm

Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS)

To ensure ease of doing business for food companies, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have launched the Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS). The FSSAI, vide its notification dated 28th May 2020, has also informed that FoSCoS will replace the existing Food Licensing and Registration System (FLRS). This upgraded cloud-based online food safety compliance platform is conceptualized to provide multiservice for Food Business Operator (FOB), such as granting licenses and registration to FOBs and other regulatory compliance services.

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The gist of FSSAI Notification

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have upgraded from FLRS to FoSCoS to make food business services easy and better for Food Business Operator.

• In the first phase, FoSCoS will be launched in nine States and Union Territories, including Gujarat, Goa, Delhi, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Puducherry, and Ladakh.
• FoSCoS replaces the existing online Food Licensing and Registration System, and users of these States/UTs are now required to visit the official website of FoSCoS and log in through the same user ids and passwords for any services.
• Food Business Operators with License/Registration of premises at Indian Railways and concerned Authorities are required to operate at Food Licensing and Registration System (FLRS) until further announcement.
• Food Business Operators (pan-India) will continue to receive Consumer Grievances and shall respond to these in a time-bound manner at FLRS only.
• Note: FBOs and Authorities must visit FLRS regularly for Consumer Grievance Module until its upgraded version is developed in FoSCoS.

Next month, the food licensing process in all other States of India will be done through FoSCoS, as the older licensing platform will be disabled. The new integrated platform will be gradually rolled out across all other states.

The objective of the FoSCoS

The primary objectives of the Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS) are as follows:

• To create a district and state-wise food safety Compliance matrix for the country
• FoSCoS is developed to create a Food safety compliance verification platform.
• To reduce the time of the Inspection process and action initiated.
• This platform is launched to build a transparent system within the inspection framework.
• For creating a platform to authenticate and validate the inspection reports.
• To ensure that the inspections are done and without any deviations.
• The process framed in the FoSCoS shall initiate Quick Response during Food Safety Emergencies.

Enhanced and New features of the FoSCoS

The following are the Enhanced and New features of the FoSCoS :

• Enhanced processing speed along with higher user traffic handling capability and a scalable system architecture that can support future upgrades and the addition of modules.
• FoSCoS to be a one-stop Food Safety Compliance Portal designed to support integration with other FSSAI Applications.
• The paradigm shift in Licensing for Manufacturers with the selection of Standardized Products rather than entering details in text boxes.
• A User-friendly and self-intuitive Home page provides intelligent search options for License Eligibility criteria and Standardized Products.
• New module for filing Annual Returns online, rather than manually sending them.
• Inspection reports (from FoSCoRIS) are now available in FoSCoS for seamless operations.
• Kind of Business (KoB) specific list of required documents to be uploaded instead of all 29 shown earlier. Also, Tick box-based online declarations do not need to upload signed documents.
• Clearer segregation of Kind of Business (KoB) in FoSCoS; for example, Nutraceuticals and Novel foods have been added as separate categories under Manufacturing.
• The foSCoS application form captures the PAN Number, CIN Number, and GST Number, which can provide future authentication and 360-degree profiling of FBOs.
• The improved menu list and Dashboards for Licensing and Registering Authorities aligned with different Application Stages and related pendency.

This new integrated platform will enable licensing, registration, and filing of annual returns regulatory and compliance functions at a single platform.

Services Offered

The following services are offered to Food Business Operators in the FSSAI’s newly developed platform:

• Registration for Petty Food Business Operators
• License for Restaurants
• License for Food Manufacturing, including Renewal and Modification
• Endorsement of Fortified Food Products on License/Registration
• Quarterly Return for Exporter
• Transfer a License
• License for Proprietary food
• Respond to a Reverted Application
• Endorsement of Organic Food Products
• Surrender of license
• License for Mid Day Meal, E-Commerce, Airport & Seaport
• Support for Food product Exporters and Importers
• Support for business Head Office

Registration for Petty FBO

This is the new feature incorporated in the FoSCoS application. This feature has enabled small businesses like hawkers, roadside vendors, etc. The Petty FBO can register in the FoSCoS and get written for their Business.

FoSCoS Methodology for Granting Licensing for Manufacture

This new platform of the FoSCoS will have the same flow as the similar earlier platform FLRS; the paradigm changes that shift the FoSCoS Methodology of Licensing for Manufacturing. The license will be issued based on the standardized product list. This new license approach is only for manufacturers of specified products.

The manufacture of supplements, nutraceuticals, proprietary food, and substances added to food need to follow the same procedure as in FLRS.

All other types of food businesses, such as Catering, transport, and storage, need to follow the broad category approach described in the FLRS.

Filing of Annual Return

Along with the food safety compliance platform, the FoSCoS is designed with a provision for filing Annual returns online. The return for the financial year 2019 to 2020 can be filled out online through the FoSCoS.

Eligibility Criteria for Food Business Registration

To know about the eligibility criteria for Food Business, kindly go through the document attach ached here:

Fee Structure

Documents Required

The documents required for obtaining the license or registration from the FoSCoS are as follows:

Documents for New License

The below-listed documents need to be provided to obtain the new food business license.

Documents for New Registration Certificate

• Photograph of the Applicant
• Government-issued photo identities such as AADHAAR, PAN, Voter ID, etc.
• Proof of Address of Businesses activity (if the address is other than as mentioned in the Photo ID Card)

Documents for Renewal/Modification of License

• Any change in documents or information provided during the grant of the previous food business license.
• Certificate of Food Safety Management System being adopted
• Medical fitness certificates of all workers engaged in the firm
• All details of technical personnel in charge of the operation

Documents required for Renewal of Registration/License

• Any change in documents or information provided during the grant of the previous registration

Procedure to Use FoSCoS

The food business operator can either create a signup using the unique mobile ID and email ID or use the same login credentials used for the FLRS application for using the FoSCoS application. The food business operator can follow the following guidelines to register in the FoSCoS and avail of the new facilities offered by the FSSAI.

User Registration

The  Food Business Operator (FBO) needs to access the official webpage of the Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS) and click on the signup option from the homepage at the top right corner of the portal.

• By clicking on signup, the FOB will be redirected to the signup page; provide all details such as Name, Email ID, Mobile Number, Login ID, and Password, and click on the “Signup” button.

• A verification code will be sent to the registered mail and mobile number. Furnish that verification code in the provided box and click on the “Submit” option to verify the details.
• After successfully signing up, the FOB can enter the system by entering the username and password.

Registration of Petty Food Business Operators

After login into the portal, click on the “Apply for Registration Certificate (Petty Food Business Operators)” option. After the verify OTP select the application for the New Registration option. A new application page will open, provide all details in the application for registration of Petty FBO and submit the application.

Procedure for New Application (Registration/ License)

The process flow of applying for food business registration/ license is similar to FLRS, with minimal changes in overall functionality. After login to the portal, the dashboard will be displayed; click on the License/Registration option in the left menu and select the Apply for New License/Registration option.

Select the head office per the KoB details and Select the appropriate kind of business applications as per the food Business to be conducted. The user must provide the details in Form-B and apply for registration.

Procedure for Renewal of an Application

FBOs can submit a request to renew their existing issued licenses/ registrations using the Renewal tab. The renewal application needs to be submitted between the time frame of 120 days and 30 days before the date of the expiry of the license.

Foscos FAQ