How does FSSAI Reduce Food Waste through Its Regulatory Rules?

Food waste is one of the significant concerns in the third world, where people remain unfed or starve because of the lack of food. They do not have enough money to buy food or they are physically or mentally challenged. A lot of non-governmental organizations carry on their projects of helping people depending on the donations of the people. If extra food from any hotel or restaurant is supplied to the poor of NGOs, they will be beneficial. Some organizations also feed the street dogs as well. So, a level of food can also be supplied to them to feed these street animals. Once you obtain an FSSAI license or registration, you will automatically go under the rules.

This article aims to explain how FSSAI terms and conditions reduce food waste in multiple layers, including the preservation to preparation level.

Food Waste and Impacts

Food wastage refers to wasting or discarding fresh food at different stages of the food supply chain. Food or food ingredients may go under different levels like storage, production, distribution, processing, and consumption.

Storage area monitoring (before preparation)

If you go deep into the facts, you will notice that food is prepared with some raw materials and vegetables. Taking care of preservation in the storage or the area of storage can reduce raw material wastage. At the same time, good raw material helps prepare good and hygienic food.

Production management

The regulation of FSSAI will surely guide the food production or instant food preparation authority so that wastage is reduced during production. It not only helps the company, shop, restaurant, or hotel but also helps the overall wastage of raw materials and increases the extra consumption of raw food products, fruits, and vegetables.

Safe Distribution management

Safe distribution reduces the waste of food. It might be the loss of the food manufacturing companies. However, once a company faces the wastage of prepared food, the demand for raw materials will increase. Hence, the prevention of any wastage after preparation will increase the profit as well as reduce the pressure on the production of raw materials.

Wastage during Processing

Wastage may also happen during the processing and after processing. Food companies must use proper preservatives so that they become healthy and hygienic. Besides, it will increase the shelf life. Burring wastage will increase profit and manage mass health.

Consumption wastage management

People go to hotels and restaurants to consume food as they like. There are a lot of customers who do not utilize food as they cannot consume the entire food items. A hotel or restaurant can reduce waste by using an extra bowl with the entire food, which will not be wasted by the users. They may use another way to prevent wastage of food during consumption. The saved food may reach the NGOs that supply them to the poor and needy people or to the street dogs that remain starving for days.

Impact of food waste

Food wastage has some severe consequences in terms of food security, environmental, social, and economic. Without adding any value to anybody, the food source will be spoiled and damage the toils behind its chain of production and manufacturing or processing. So, it hampers a vast economy by increasing production costs and negatively affecting livelihood by emitting foul smells, area health deterioration, and so on.

The active role of FSSAI license in reducing food waste

The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) is created under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Government of India. The authority is built to ensure the quality of food, which would be consumable and scientifically safe to consume. They also regulate the manufacturer, distributors, storage, import, and export quality justification for consumption of safe food.

How does FSSAI work in reducing food waste?

Standards of FSSAI registration/license:

FSSAI sets food standards, which is safe for consumption. The quality, preservation, and storage or transportation may deteriorate the quality of food. FSSAI regulates it. Their purpose is to standardize the benchmark of food that would be scientifically approved and safe for consumption.

FSSAI registration and license

FSSAI registration or license is mandatory for food businesses of all types. So, the FSSAI department ensures food business operators to supply great food always by maintaining safety standards.

Consume awareness

FSSAI makes food consumers aware of the safety consumption, health guidelines, veg or non-veg marking, and all related factors so that consumers can consume food confidently.

How does FSSAI reduce food waste?

Reduction of storage facilities

Storage facilities must be well equipped so that the storage becomes safe, sanitary, and healthy. It must be kept in optimum condition, where spoilage and wastage become minimal.

Transport regulation

FSSAI-registered or FSSAI-licensed companies have to transport food items by following the transport guidelines of the FSSAI department. It ensures the freshness and quality of food transported from one place to another place.

Implementing the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

GMP guidelines

FSSAI has regulations for food businesses that they have to pursue Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure that the food will be prepared and processed under hygienic conditions. Implementing GMP minimizes food contamination, wastage of ingredients, and the safety of production. So, food will not be wasted due to food safety concerns.

Quality Control and Standardization

FSSAI license ensures that the FBOs will follow GMP guidelines. So, they will prepare uniformity of food products. So, the consumers will get almost 99% similar products every time they purchase from the company. So, the rejection from the customers will not happen due to inconsistent quality.

Food donation and redistribution

FSSAI has regulations for food donation and redistribution. They have to hand over the surplus food safely to the specific NGOs or similar authorities. This practice encourages food businesses to redistribute and stand out with the poor and destitute require food and reduce the wastage of food.

Food fortification and donation

FSSAI promotes food fortification so that the food becomes more nutritious reducing the wastage of nutrient food. Additionally, FSSAI supports food donation to others, which also reduces the wastage of food and redirects food to the less fortunate people.

Regulations of expiry dates

FSSAI mandates mentioning the manufacturing and expiry dates of all food products. Ensuring the information where the shelf life of the food product must be mentioned. Hence, the seller will try to sell it before the date and the consumer will be aware of consuming it before the date. It will surely prevent the wastage of food.

Labeling the nutritional value

All packaged food or preserved food must have a shelf life and nutritional value mentioned on the package. This helps people to make an informed decision and avoid unnecessary purchases that they do not need or purchase the product that they require.

Training and Education

FSSAI conducts training programs and awareness campaigns for all users, handlers, and businesses. This program educates FBOs with FSSAI registration or FSSAI license to handle and deliver food with maximum hygiene, and users can also consume hygienically. Complying with safety norms results in reducing food waste due to contamination or manhandling of food items.

Collaboration with NGOs/COs

FSSAI has collaboration with NGOs, voluntary organizations, charitable organizations, and similar other organizations. When the food business operators feel that their food will remain in excess after the demands of the hotel or restaurant for the day, they will be bound to call the NGOs or charitable organizations to collect it and to serve the less fortunate people. Thus they reduce food wastage while addressing food scarcity.

In this way, FSSAI registration or FSSAI license owners can reduce food wastage by complying with the FSSAI rules. So, FSSAI is always seeking ways to improve the quality of food and reduce its waste. If you want to register or license your food business under FoSCoS FSSAI, you can contact Online Legal India. Contact them now.