India, May 21 -- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a critical directive mandating that all Food Business Operators (FBOs) must submit a closure report upon the expiry of their FSSAI license or registration. This move is aimed at bolstering regulatory oversight and ensuring accurate tracking of food business operations across the country.

As per the new guidelines, FBOs are now required to log into the FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System) portal and file a response through the designated "Procedures" tab under the "Expired License/Registration" section.

Streamlined Digital Process for Filing Closure Reports To facilitate compliance and ease of navigation for FBOs, FSSAI has rolled out a step-by-step digital process:

Login to FoSCoS: FBOs must access their account on https://foscos.fssai.gov.in.

Access the 'Procedures' Tab: Under "File Your Response" > "Expired License/Registration".

Choose One of Three Options:

Option 1: Reference number for renewal application (if license was renewed).

Option 2: Provide license number for businesses that continue under a new or merged license.

Option 3: File a closure report if the business has ceased operations.

The system is user-friendly, featuring illustrative visuals for each step to ensure smooth compliance, even for first-time users.

Enhancing Food Business Transparency and Traceability This directive aims to eliminate discrepancies in license status, discourage unregulated operations, and maintain accurate databases. Timely submission of closure reports will help FSSAI assess sector-wise compliance, improve resource allocation, and support policymaking grounded in real-time operational data.

Who Is Affected? This mandate applies to:

All food businesses with expired licenses or registrations.

Operators no longer engaged in food-related activities.

Businesses that have undergone structural or ownership changes.

Call to Action for FBOs FBOs are urged to review the status of their license or registration immediately and file the required closure report if applicable. Non-compliance may attract regulatory action and future restrictions on license issuance.

For detailed instructions, FSSAI has also released a user manual available on the FoSCoS portal, guiding FBOs through the filing process.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from FoodTechBiz.