Quality Council of India(QCI)

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Quality Council of India launched a scheme for Hygiene-rating audit agencies

A brief note on the scheme for Hygiene-rating audit agencies

• In order to increase the number of recognised hygiene-rating audit agencies in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said that the Quality Council of India, at its behest, has come out with a scheme for the approval of hygiene-rating audit agencies.
• QCI initiated this scheme after the FSSAI launched a certification system for restaurants, hotels and cafeterias among others under its ‘Food Hygiene Rating Scheme’
• Under this initiative, these food establishments will be rated based on food hygiene and safety parameters by recognised hygiene-rating audit agencies. 
• As per the scheme, the hygiene rating will be in the form of a smiley (1 to 5) and the certificate should be displayed prominently in the consumer-facing area. 
• The recognized hygiene-rating audit agencies will be responsible for verifying compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures laid by the FSSAI and get hygiene ratings
• Currently, the scheme is applicable for food service establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, dhabhas, sweet shops, bakeries and meat retail stores.

Significance of the scheme

The Hygiene Rating Scheme can be instrumental in creating awareness amongst the consumers and developing a culture of self-compliance amongst food business operators. It will improve the quality of the food supply and increase demand as well.

About the Quality Council of India(QCI)

• Quality Council of India is an autonomous body of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Govt. of India
• QCI was set up in 1997 jointly by the Government of India(under the Societies Registration Act ) and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations i.e. 
  • Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), 
  • Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and 
  • Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), 
• The main objectives of QCI are (a) to establish and operate national accreditation structure (b) to monitor and administer the National Quality Campaign
• The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, is the nodal ministry for QCI.
• Chairman of QCI is nominated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and is a non-executive post.
• The Council is independent and works under the directions of its Governing Body (GB) having equal representation of government, industry and industry associations. 
• It does not get funded by the government and is a self-sustaining non-profit organization with its own Memorandum of Association (MOA) and Rules.
• QCI operations are carried out by its constituent boards namely, National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET), National Accreditation Board for Hospitals Healthcare Providers (NABH), National Board for Quality Promotion (NBQP) and National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)

How QCI is different from BIS?