The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India sets standards for food and regulates its manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import. Almost every food business, from a street vendor to a hotel chain, must hold either an FSSAI registration or a licence depending on its size and type, and display the number at the premises.
General hygiene and sanitary practices that food businesses are expected to follow are set out in Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. These cover areas such as premises, equipment, personal hygiene, pest control, storage and temperature control. Refrigeration plays a part in many of these expectations: storing perishable food under refrigeration, keeping raw and cooked food separate, cleaning equipment and monitoring storage conditions. Food businesses should read the current regulations themselves or take advice, because requirements are updated over time.
A new restaurant opening in Indore would need its FSSAI licence or registration before trading. During inspections or audits, the condition of its refrigerators, their temperatures, cleanliness and how food is stored inside them are among the things commonly checked.