Food Technician Zuthungbemo conducts a live demonstration on safe food practices during a specialised awareness programme held at Diphupar Village Council Hall on February 16. (Photo courtesy: FSA Dimapur Zone)
Dimapur, February 18 (MExN): The Food Safety Administration (FSA), Dimapur Zone, has intensified its drive to ensure compliance with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms by conducting on-the-spot online licensing and registration camps, along with public awareness programmes across multiple locations in the district.
A statement issued by the FSA, Dimapur Zone, informed that the initiative, aimed at bringing local Food Business Operators (FBOs) and community groups into compliance with FSSAI norms, began on February 12 at Diphupar A and B, where online licensing and registration camps are being conducted through the FoSCoS portal.
The camps aim to provide on-the-spot assistance to FBOs, simplifying the digital registration process and ensuring that food businesses operate with a valid FSSAI licence, it said.
The FSA also reminded that operating a food business without an FSSAI licence is a punishable offence under Section 63 of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006.
Alongside the registration camps, the Food Safety on Wheels team has been conducting awareness activities, sensitising the public on common adulterants in food items, food safety, hygiene and nutrition, while promoting the Eat Right India campaign, it added.
Meanwhile, on February 16, a specialised awareness programme on safe food practices targeting Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Anganwadi workers was held at the Diphupar Village Council Hall.
During the programme, the Dimapur Zone FSA Designated Officer, Pelerieno Kehie, highlighted the mandatory requirement for all Anganwadi Centres to be registered under FSSAI.
She emphasised that proper labelling is not merely a legal formality but a vital tool for safeguarding public health.
Food Technician and resource person, Zuthungbemo, also conducted a practical session on safe food practices.
The training covered the scientific storage of dry rations such as rice, dal and biscuits, distribution hygiene, and the importance of reading nutrition labels.
A “Sugar Board Chart” was also displayed to visually demonstrate the high sugar content in common processed foods, generating discussions on the long-term ill effects of junk food consumption.
The release further informed that, to support long-term implementation, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials were distributed to participants.
Meanwhile, the FSA has urged all FBOs, including paan shops, grocery shops, pharmacies, bakeries, vegetable vendors, restaurants, tea stalls, meat shops, institutional and office canteens, mid-day meal kitchens, caterers, homestays, resorts and home-based manufacturers, to keep their documents ready and avail themselves of the mobile registration camps to avoid future penalties.
Similar camps will be conducted in Chümoukedima, Dimapur, Niuland, Mon and Peren districts in the coming days, it added.
