The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
Chapter VI Special
Responsibilities as to Food Safety
26. Responsibilities
of the food business operator. -
1.
Every
food business operator shall ensure that the articles of food satisfy the
requirements of this Act and the rules and regulations made thereunder at all
stages of production, processing, import, distribution and sale within the
businesses under his control.
2.
No
food business operator shall himself or by any person on his behalf
manufacture, store, sell or distribute any article of food-
i.
which
is unsafe; or
which
is misbranded or sub-standard or contains extraneous matter; or
iii.
for
which a licence is required, except in accordance with the conditions of the
licence; or
iv.
which
is for the time being prohibited by the Food Authority or the Central
Government or the State Government in the interest of public health; or
v.
in
contravention of any other provision of this Act or of any rule or regulation
made thereunder.
1.
2.
3.
No
food business operator shall employ any person who is suffering from
infectious, contagious or loathsome disease.
4.
No
food business operator shall sell or offer for sale any article of food to any
vendor unless he also gives a guarantee in writing in the form specified by
regulations about the nature and quality of such article to the vendor:
Provided that a bill, cash memo, or invoice in respect of the sale of any
article of food given by a food business operator to the vendor shall be deemed
to be a guarantee under this section, even if a guarantee in the specified form
is not included in the bill, cash memo or invoice.
5.
Where
any food which is unsafe is part of a batch, lot or consignment of food of the
same class or description, it shall be presumed that all the food in that
batch, lot or consignment is also unsafe, unless following a detailed
assessment within a specified time, it is found that there is no evidence that
the rest of the batch, lot or consignment is unsafe: Provided that any
conformity of a food with specific provisions applicable to that food shall be
without prejudice to the competent authorities taking appropriate measures to
impose restrictions on that food being placed on the market or to require its
withdrawal from the market for the reasons to be recorded in writing where such
authorities suspect that, despite the conformity, the food is unsafe.