Cabinet nod to food safety trade agreement with Bhutan

The agreement was signed between BFDA and FSSAI. (representational image)

The cabinet on March 13 approved the signing of an agreement between India and Bhutan in the area of food safety to facilitate trade meeting the requirements of the Indian regulator.

The move would promote ease of doing business and will reduce compliance costs for both sides, the government said on March 13 in a statement listing several decisions taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“According to the agreement Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) will issue a health certificate as a proof of compliance with the requirements prescribed by FSSAI, while exporting the products to India,” the government said.

The agreement was signed between BFDA and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

FSSAI launched a Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) portal in November in four regional languages, apart from Hindi and English, to enhance user experience and accessibility.

The portal is now available in Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi.