FSSAI asks food delivery service Zomato to procure food safety license

FSSAI has undertaken the move after its CEO announced new guidelines under which food delivery chains will have to procure relevant licenses as well.

Zomato, the Indian online food delivery service, has recently been served with a notice by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) which asked it to procure a food safety license for its operations.

According to reliable reports, officials from the Nagar Nigam of Dehradun inspected the Zomato head office and issued the notice under section 31 of The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which mandates that no person is allowed to carry out any food business without a license.

Though Zomato only engages in food supply, the food safety license will be mandatory for them as they deal in last-mile delivery and are therefore equally responsible for safety of food products.

Ramesh Singh, Nagar Nigam Dehradun Food Safety Officer, who led the team has been reported to say that the online food delivery service has also been ordered to present a list of food manufacturers engaged with Zomato along with their respective FSSAI registration numbers and licenses. Singh added that the FSSAI is also looking to check the medical certificates of all the employees involved in food preparation and packaging in the Zomato associated food outlets.

Zomato has been permitted seven days to provide the details demanded by FSSAI.

According to sources close to the matter, FSSAI has undertaken the move after its CEO announced new guidelines under which food delivery chains will have to procure relevant licenses as well. He has declared that the guidelines would help in building confidence in the food e-commerce business and to ensure last-mile delivery personnel is trained in food safety rules.

A Zomato spokesperson said that license has been applied for its Dehradun operations as well as for other cities as the company welcomes the move by FSSAI aimed at driving the development in the food delivery ecosystem. The spokesperson added that Zomato has already been working with its restaurant partners in this regard over the past year.