Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has signed an "Agreement" with the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA), Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan. This agreement, signed on 21 March 2024 in Thimphu, aims to recognize the official control exercised by BFDA over Bhutanese Food Business Operators (FBOs) as equivalent to FSSAI’s requirements. Key highlights of the agreement are:

• Recognition of BFDA's official control: The agreement acknowledges BFDA's regulatory control over Bhutanese FBOs, allowing it to issue Health Certificates that certify compliance with FSSAI’s food safety standards.

• Health certificate for export: The BFDA will issue a Health Certificate as proof of compliance with FSSAI's requirements, which will be required for exporting food products from Bhutan to India.

Implementation guidelines

To ensure compliance and smooth implementation of the agreement, FSSAI has directed all concerned officers to adhere to the following requirements:

• Import consignment approval: If a food consignment from a Bhutanese manufacturer (as per the attached list of approved establishments) is accompanied by a Health Certificate issued by the BFDA Competent Authority, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) may be issued to the consignment based on the duly compliant accompanied Health Certificate.

• Required documentation:

  • Copy of the approved Health Certificate.

  • Copy of signatures of the authorized signatories issuing the Health Certificate.

  • List of approved establishments in Bhutan with the scope of approval.

The agreement is expected to facilitate smoother trade relations between India and Bhutan, ensuring that imported food products comply with India's stringent food safety standards while streamlining the import process for Bhutanese food products.