FSSAI eases norms in food biz for women
It frames new spl category to encourage them, transgender as food business operators
Bridging Gender Gap
♦ FSSAI sent user manual to States and UTs
♦ The special category entrepreneurs will be identified as per Aadhaar card or PAN
♦ Promoting equal opportunities in food biz
♦ Food biz at 11.19% growth rate expected to reach $79.65bn by 2028 from $41.1 bn in 2022
In a bid to encourage women and transgender persons to become food business operators (FBOs), the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come up with a new provision in the food safety compliance system (FoSCoS) portal. They will be identified as persons of ‘special category’ for faster processing of licences.
The objective is to bridge the gender gap and promote equal opportunities in the food business, official sources told Bizz Buzz. The new provision will help the licensing and registering authorities process special category applications in 1:1 ratio with the regular ones. The special category entrepreneurs will be identified on the basis of the Aadhaar card or the Permanent Account Number (PAN).
The FSSAI has sent a user manual to its top officials in States and Union Territories (UTs), along with to the officials concerned in State and UT authorities, FBO associations, and other stakeholders.
The government is keen to ensure inclusivity in the food business market, which is expanding briskly. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.19 per cent from $41.1 billion in 2022 to $79.65 billion by 2028, according to the Food Service and Restaurant Business Report 2022-23 by Francorp and restaurantindia.in.
While more than two million jobs were lost during the peak of Covid-19, the industry is expected to reach an employment figure of one crore by 2025.
FBOs often find licensing a long and cumbersome process. The FSSAI strives to make the process easier, the officials said, adding that the new provision will encourage women and transgender people to enter the business. Also, they said, it will boost formalization of the sector.
While a major part of restaurants and the food service market is in the unorganized segment, the government wants formalization. The Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MoFPI) launched the PradhanMantri Formalization of Micro food processing Enterprises Scheme under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan for five years (till 2024-25) with a total outlay of Rs10,000 crore.
