The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was set up under the 2006 Act to unify a patchwork of food laws. In May 2023 it issued an order that barred state officers from inspecting centrally licensed companies and moved all licensing to the FoSCoS portal. Maharashtra argues that this move strips state commissioners of their enforcement powers and creates an illegal parallel system led by Central Food Safety Officers.
The state also disputes a March notification that raised turnover limits for food establishments without a public hearing. It demands that the court declare such rules unconstitutional, grant a stay on the inspection ban, and hand back the licensing database that the central agency now controls.
A bench of Chief Justice Mahesh C Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna will hear the case next week. The FSSAI’s mandate includes framing food safety standards, accrediting certification bodies, and advising both central and state governments on policy matters.
For some, the stakes are tangible. Suresh Patil, a 35‑year‑old street‑food vendor in Pune, says the new system has stalled his ability to renew his license, putting his family’s livelihood at risk.