Now 6 months jail and Rs 5 lakh fine for selling homemade food without a license
Shikha Chaurasia
Pune, November 8, 2020 : Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown which came with it, many people decided to launch business ventures from home. The most common ventures among many were that of homemade food, cakes, bakery items etc.
When the nation went into a state of complete lockdown in March, since then, there have been 2,300 registrations of home-based business ventures. However, many people are unaware of the rule that selling homemade food items like cakes without a license will result in a punishment of six months imprisonment and a fine up to Rs five lakh.
Registration compulsory for home-based businesses with sales less than Rs 12 lakh
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the State Food Safety Department provide the license and registration for home-based business ventures according to the law dated August 5, 2011.
The two main clauses are-
1. Registration is compulsory for home-based business ventures with sales less than Rs 12 lakh.
2. License is compulsory for home-based businesses with sales above Rs 12 lakh.
Registration Process
For the people who are unaware, the process of registration and getting a license is quite easy. All you have to do is-
· Go on site of the FSSAI
· Upload a photo ID and a photo.
The manufacturer is responsible for assuring that the materials and the water they are using is of good quality.
If the food safety officials receive any complaints regarding a business, they will visit the concerned business and thoroughly conduct an inspection. If the manufacturer is found guilty, heavy fines can be imposed upon them.
The punishment is decided on the basis of the extent and nature of the crime of selling adulterated food. Imprisonment and penalty can be imposed on violating rules and regulations.
Also, there is a punishment of Rs 5 lakh for selling items of substandard quality and a fine of Rs 3 lakh for selling items without a label.
