The Bakers Association Kerala (BAKE) has initiated a campaign, aiming to rally support from MLAs and MPs in order to exert pressure on the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to withdraw the compulsory six-month testing mandate for all their products.
They are currently seeking an exemption specifically for MSMEs. This is because small bakers operating in local shops have a diverse range of products, typically ranging from 100 to 300 types. These products are sold in small quantities and are not produced on a large-scale basis.
“This law is more ideal for big companies who have fewer products than us, maybe 10-15 varieties and they can afford it,” said Indian bakers federation president P M Sankaran.
To ensure the continuity of their licenses, entities must adhere to the FSSAI’s mandate of uploading or linking their lab test reports every six months. Failure to do so may result in license cancellation.
“In Kerala, all FSSAI rules are strictly implemented and almost 80% of food business have licences. The remaining 20% must be either small ‘thattukadas’ or roadside eateries or vendors. We have different kinds of cakes, rusks, mixtures in the nearly 10,000 bakery units in the state. And most of us sell in a local neighbourhood and most people buy our local breads and rusks before opting for big brands,” he added.
The association said that most of the FSSAI rules are scientific and very practical and safe for both the businesses and customers. “However, these tests costs anywhere between INR 3000 and INR 14,000, which is highly expensive for small business like ours,” said a baker.
“As part of taking the licence, we do all the basic tests, get a health certificate and a local body NOC for filing our returns,” said Biju Prem Sankar, state secretary, bakers’ association Kerala.
The initial petition was presented to opposition leader V D Satheesan through the symbolic act of handing over a cake, conveying the message that testing such products every six months is impractical.
