Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017.

These Regulations are framed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (Food Authority), in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (e) of sub-section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It consists of fourteen chapters: I. Preliminary; II. Licensing of Food Importers; III. Clearance of Imported Food by the Food Authority; IV. Food Import Clearance for Specific Purposes; V. Storage and Sampling of Imported Food; VI. Laboratory Analysis of Samples of Imported Articles of Food; VII. Scheme for Risk based Food Import Clearance; VIII. Prohibition and Restrictions on Imports of Article of Food; IX. Officers of the Food Authority; X. Orders by the Authorised Officer; XI. Review Process; XII. Disposal of Rejected Food Consignments and Food Samples; XIII. Treatment of Uncleared and Unclaimed Article of Food; and XIV. Registration and inspection of Foreign Food manufacturing facilities.
Chapter II requires registration of food importers with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and an import license to be obtained from the Food Authority to import food articles. It also provides for conditions of suspension or cancellation of import licence. Chapter III lays down the procedure for clearance of imported food and mandates compliance with standards for packaging and labelling. Chapter V provides for the manner of storage and sampling of imported food. Chapter VI lays down the procedure for analysis of imported food articles by the laboratories notified by the Food Authority. Chapter VII allows the Food Authority to review the risks associated with articles of food imported from time to time and adopt a risk-based framework and risk based inspection process for clearance of imported articles of food. Chapter XII makes provisions for rejection of imported food consignments and disposal thereof. Chapter XIV provides for the procedure of application and registration of foreign food manufacturing facilities including inspection of such facilities.