Online central and state Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) login, certification, training certification, validity, and training fees.

Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC)

Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) is a program aimed at enhancing food safety practices in the food industry. It provides comprehensive training to food handlers, supervisors, and managers on various aspects of food safety, including hygiene, sanitation, handling, and storage.

FoSTaC focuses on imparting knowledge and skills necessary to ensure safe and healthy food practices, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses and contamination. By promoting proper food handling techniques and compliance with regulatory standards, FoSTaC plays a vital role in safeguarding public health and maintaining consumer confidence. Certification through FoSTaC signifies adherence to best practices in food safety, facilitating a culture of quality and integrity in the food industry.

What is FoSTaC?

Food safety training and certification (FoSTaC) is a large-scale training Programme of food safety & standard authority of India initiated with the aim to spread education and raise awareness on the Food Safety & Standard Act, Rules & Regulation among food business operators.

While FoSTaC training is voluntary at present, the food authority has approved, in principle, a decision to make the training mandatory. So, every food business establishment will soon be required to have at least one trained certified Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) through FoSTaC for every 25 food–handlers on their premises.

Food safety commissioners/officials in all States/UTs/Districts are, therefore, advised to coordinate with empaneled training partners to organize training in their respective areas.

FoSTaC Full form

FoSTaC stands for “Food Safety Training and Certification.” It is a program designed to provide comprehensive training and certification in food safety practices. FoSTaC aims to enhance food handling, storage, and sanitation practices, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Certification through FoSTaC signifies adherence to best practices in food safety, promoting public health and consumer confidence.

Objectives of Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC)

The objectives of FoSTaC (Food Safety Training and Certification) are as follows:

1. Enhancing Knowledge: FoSTaC aims to provide comprehensive training to food handlers, supervisors, and managers, enhancing their knowledge of food safety practices, regulations, and standards.
2. Ensuring Compliance: FoSTaC promotes adherence to food safety regulations and standards set by regulatory authorities, ensuring that food businesses maintain proper hygiene, sanitation, and handling practices.
3. Reducing Foodborne Illnesses: FoSTaC focuses on educating individuals about the risks of foodborne illnesses and equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to prevent contamination, thereby reducing the occurrence of such illnesses.
4. Promoting Best Practices: FoSTaC encourages the adoption of best practices in food safety, including proper storage, handling, and preparation techniques, to ensure the delivery of safe and high-quality food products to consumers.
5. Building Consumer Confidence: FoSTaC certification acts as a mark of assurance for consumers, indicating that a food business has met the necessary training and compliance requirements, instilling confidence in the safety and quality of the food being served.
6. Professional Development: FoSTaC provides opportunities for professional development in the food industry by enhancing the skills and knowledge of individuals, enabling them to advance their careers in the field of food safety and quality assurance.

Overall, FoSTaC aims to establish a culture of food safety and ensure that all stakeholders in the food industry prioritize the well-being of consumers by maintaining high standards of food safety.

Training Partners of Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC)

A training partner is any organization who is involved either in training or is part of the food ecosystem as a training providing agency, large food business, food safety audit or certification agency, food testing laboratories, etc.

National Level Resource Person (NLRP) under Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC)

The national-level resource person is those who have more than 10 years of experience from industry, academia, and other related field and are being nominated into the direct resource pool of FSSAI. NLRPs are responsible for developing training manuals providing training to the trainers and large-scale mobilization.

Food Safety Supervisor

A food safety supervisor (FSS) is a person who is trained to recognize and prevent risks associated with food handling in the food business, holds a valid FSS certificate under food safety Training & Certification (FoSTaC) of FSSAI training Programme or approved by Food Authority from time to time and shall be able to train and supervise the food handler.

Food Handler

A Food Handler is a person who directly handles packaged or unpackaged food, Food equipment and utensils or food contact surfaces and is therefore expected to comply with food hygiene requirements.

Details of Courses

There are 19 certification courses developed by a panel of domain experts empanelled by FSSAI that are offered at three levels: Basic, Advanced and Special, that cover the entire food value chain.

Basic – 5 courses – duration 4 hrs

This course is available for street food vending, catering, manufacturing, storage & transport, retail.

Special – 9 courses – 4 to 8 hrs. each

This course is available for milk & milk products, animal meat & meat products, poultry meat, fish and seafood, packed water, bakery level 1 and level 2, edible oil and fats, health supplements etc.

Categories of Stakeholders of Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC)

The food safety training Programme has been built up within the food ecosystem itself involving all the stakeholders engaged with the food sector in one way or another.

The stakeholder of FoSTaC is as follow:

1. Main Stakeholders
   • FSSAI
   • State FDA
   • FBOs
2. Implementing stakeholders
   • Training partners
   • National-level resource person (NLRP)
   • Trainer cum assessor
   • Trainee

Role and Responsibility of Stakeholders

The ecosystem of FoSTaC will run smoothly and grow exponentially when all the stakeholders will contribute their part remaining within their own forte.

Role of FSSAI in Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC)

The roles of FSSAI in FoSTaC are course identification, empanelment of training partners, finalisation of their eligibility condition, Maintaining and regulating FoSTaC portal etc.

Role of State FDA

The role of the state food safety department is the most crucial since they act as a catalyst by pulling all stakeholders together. The responsibility of ensuring food safety is with the state food safety department who has to coordinate with the training partners, food businesses, market associations or other similar associations.

Role of Training Partners

FSSAI-empanelled training partners will play the role of mentors besides providing training. The trainer may handhold each of the trained FSS as a follow-up to their individual learning process.

Who can be the training partner under FoSTaC?

1. big food business (central License and Big state licensees)
2. Academic and vocational institutions.
3. Training partners approved national skill development corporations (NSDC), Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and State Skill Development Missions.
4. Training agencies approved under other government schemes.

Role of Funding Partners

The entire training and certification process involves some cost which can be borne by the FBOs themselves, any business house from their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, government bodies, local bodies or the market association.

Role of Large FBOs in Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC)

Large food businesses have a larger catchment area. Besides investing out of their CSR fund, industries can train their upstream and downstream supply chains.

Steps for Implementation

1. for ease of access and transparency, the entire training program is managed through a dedicated online portal.
2. the actual training under FoSTaC is delivered offline or in classroom modules through empanelled trainers.
3. FSSAI has not prescribed any fixed fee for any course, though fees are expected to be nominal since the training content and use of FoSTaC portal are provided free of charge by FSSAI.
4. However, there would still be some cost involved and this can be met by the FBOs whose employees are being trained, through other government schemes or through CSR funds of companies etc.

FoSTaC login for certification on FoSTaC portal

To log in for FoSTaC certification on the FoSTaC portal, you can follow these general steps:

1. Visit the official FoSTaC website or portal. You can search for “FoSTaC certification” or visit the website provided by the certifying authority in your country.
2. Look for the “Login” or “Sign In” option on the portal’s homepage. It is usually located in a prominent place, such as the top-right corner.
3. Click on the “Login” or “Sign In” option to proceed.
4. You may be directed to a new page where you’ll need to enter your login credentials. These credentials may include a username and password that you obtained during your registration process. If you haven’t registered yet, there might be an option to create a new account.
5. Enter your username and password in the respective fields. Make sure to input the correct information.
6. After entering your credentials, click on the “Login” or “Sign In” button to access your account.
7. Once logged in, you should have access to your FoSTaC certification profile, where you can manage your training records, complete assessments, and view your certification status.

FAQs on Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC)

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