New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has notified amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, in a move aimed at reducing compliance burdens and improving ease of doing business in the food sector.
Under the revised regulations, record-keeping and stock rotation requirements based on the First In First Out (FIFO) and First Expiry First Out (FEFO) principles will now apply only to food manufacturing units, where such measures are considered critical for food safety, quality control and product traceability.
Non-manufacturing food businesses, including retailers and similar establishments, have been exempted from these requirements. The government said the move is expected to particularly benefit small and medium enterprises by reducing regulatory obligations while ensuring that key food safety safeguards remain in place.
The amendments have been notified under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as part of the Centre’s broader efforts to create a transparent, efficient and business-friendly regulatory framework.
Officials said the reforms align with the government’s policy of promoting risk-based and outcome-oriented regulation. The changes were finalised following consultations with states, Union Territories and stakeholders from across the food business ecosystem.
The ministry noted that several measures have already been introduced in recent years to simplify compliance, including perpetual licences, revised turnover thresholds, streamlined requirements for street food vendors and risk-based inspection systems.
The latest amendment is expected to further strengthen ease of doing business while maintaining robust food safety standards across the sector.
