What is Food Safety Connect?
Food Safety Connect is the official consumer grievance portal from FSSAI. It's designed to be a single, reliable platform where you can lodge complaints about food products and the establishments that sell them. Whether through its website or mobile app,
the system empowers you to become the 'eyes' of the regulator, turning your awareness into action. The goal is to create a more responsive food safety ecosystem by allowing citizens to easily share concerns, thereby helping authorities identify and act on violations that might otherwise go unnoticed.
What Kinds of Complaints Can I File?
The platform accepts a wide range of complaints related to packaged foods, restaurants, and even online food delivery platforms. Common issues you can report include food adulteration (like mixing stones in grains), contamination with foreign objects, and selling expired or spoiled products. You can also file grievances about unhygienic conditions at food premises, misleading advertisements, false packaging claims (like a product wrongfully labelled '100% natural'), incorrect nutritional information, or any other violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
What Evidence Do I Need to Gather?
An evidence-backed complaint is always more effective. Before you file, it's highly advisable to gather as much proof as possible. The most crucial pieces of evidence are clear photographs or videos of the product, the issue you've found, and the packaging, including the manufacturing date and batch number. Always keep the original bill or receipt from the purchase, as this establishes where and when you bought the item. If you can find the FSSAI license number of the food business (it's often displayed on the packaging or at the premises), include that as well. The more detailed your evidence, the more effectively the authorities can investigate.
How Do I File a Complaint?
FSSAI has made the process straightforward. You can either visit the Food Safety Connect web portal or download the mobile app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. First, you'll need to register and create an account. Once logged in, select the option to lodge a new complaint. You will be prompted to enter details about the food business, select the category of your complaint, and write a clear description of the issue. This is where you will upload your evidence like photos and bills. After submitting, the system will generate a unique tracking ID for your complaint.
What Happens After I Submit a Complaint?
Once your complaint is registered, you can use the unique ID to track its status online. The complaint is first forwarded to the concerned food business operator for resolution, with a copy sent to the State Food Safety Commissioner. If the response is unsatisfactory or not received within a specified period (typically around 15 days), the complaint is then forwarded to the respective state authorities for further action, which can include inspection and sample collection. This process ensures that both the business and the regulatory bodies are looped in. You also have the option to provide feedback on the resolution and can escalate or re-raise the complaint if you are not satisfied with the outcome.
