(1) A food laboratory desirous of being notified under subsection (1) of section 43 may, if it fulfills the criteria specified in regulations 4, submit an application in Form-A through online platform of the Food Authority along with the documents specified therein and a fee of rupees One thousand.
(2) A food laboratory owned or controlled by a Government institution including research institution or established by the Food Authority or any other statutory body and accredited by an accreditation body and desirous of being 10 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART III—SEC. 4] notified as referral laboratory under sub-section (2) of section 43 may apply in Form- A along with the documents specified therein.
(3) The Food Authority shall scrutinise all applications received under sub-regulations (1) and (2) and inform the deficiency, if any, to the applicant within thirty days from the date of such receipt and the applicant shall remove such deficiency within thirty days of receipt of the information, failing which the application shall stand rejected without any further reference and the fees so paid shall not be refunded.
(4) An application which is complete in all respect shall be registered by assigning a registration number which shall be used in all future correspondence with the laboratory concerned.
(5) The Food Authority may carry out adequacy audit of a laboratory and on being satisfied, decide to notify such laboratory.
(6) The Food Authority may reject an application for the reason to be recorded in writing.
(7) Where the Food Authority decides to notify a food laboratory, such laboratory shall execute an agreement with the Food Authority agreeing to comply with all the terms and conditions specified in such agreement.
(8) The food laboratory to be notified shall deposit rupees one lakh as interest-free security deposit at the time of signing the agreement:
Provided that no such security deposit shall be payable by a laboratory owned or controlled or funded or operated by any statutory body or Government institution or Government-aided or funded institution including research institution or University recognised under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956).
(9) The Food Authority shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, notify the food laboratory and also upload on its website the details of notified laboratories including scope of accreditation of such laboratories.
(10) The agreement executed under sub-regulation (7) shall come into force with effect from the date of notification under sub-regulation (9) and shall be valid till the validity of accreditation certificate issued by an accreditation body or till the recognition and notification is continued by the Food Authority, whichever is earlier.