FSSAI publishes SOP for Intermediaries facilitating sales between Farmers/ small original producers and producer organizations and end consumers.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on 20^th December 2021 has published a standard operating procedure for Aggregators or Intermediaries facilitating sales between Farmers/ small original producers and producer organizations and end consumers.

This SoP is the implementation guide for exemption provided to Aggregators or Intermediaries in Section 4 (3) of the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017.

Exemption from the requirement of certification under these rules shall be applicable only to “Aggregators or Intermediaries who collect organic food from farmer/ small original producer or producer organization and sell it to the end consumer”

Exemption will be available to aggregators or intermediaries as per the provisions of FSSAI with an annual turnover of less than or equal to Rs 50 lakhs per annum, or as amended from time to time by the food authority and shall be applicable only to intermediaries under state license.

Further the Aggregators/ intermediaries shall not engage in manufacturing, processing and private labelling by hiring or outsourcing processing, purchase/ sale of exempted products from other than farmer/ primary original producers/ producer organizations or any such similar activity and shall ensure that exempted organic produce is displayed in a manner distinguishable from the display of in-conversion/ certified organic/ conventional food.

Documents to be maintained by aggregators/ intermediaries for such exempted category of organic products may interalia include:

1. List of organic products traded as organic in compliance of these rules with Jaivik Bharat Logo along with their traceability records as per relevant certification system (in case if it is trading the certified organic products also)
2. Separate List of exempted organic products, to be prominently displayed
3. Purchase records for exempted category of organic products directly from primary producers with details of commodities, purchased, handled/ packed and sold
4.  List of farmers with their address and contact details from whom such exempted category of organic products has been procured.
5.  Sales record for the previous year to indicate turnover.

Aggregators or Intermediaries shall ensure that such exempted category of organic products after purchase from farmers/ primary producers and producer organizations are sold only to the end consumers and not used for any processing/ manufacturing or for sale to other traders/ intermediaries or other FBOs.