FSSAI Food License in India - Benefits, Types, Documents

Overview of FSSAI Licence and Registration

FSSAI registration is one of the most essential registration for food business operators wanting to open restaurant, bakery, hotel, cloud kitchen or food stall in India. Each food business Operator (FBO) entities or persons involved in the manufacture, preparation, sale, transport, distribution and storage of Food articles/products requires an FOSCOS FSSAI registration to operate a Food Business.

FSSAI is Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. It is an organization responsible for monitoring all food business in India. It's an autonomous body created under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

FSSAI registers and licenses the FBOs in India and makes rules and regulations for running the food business in India.

What is FSSAI License and Registration?

Anyone engaged in food business (manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and sale of food products) must obtain FSSAI License.

FSSAI Regn is different from FSSAI License based on business size and nature. FBOs must obtain the appropriate registration or license depending on the size of their businesses.

FSSAI regn is 14-digit Registration or a license number printed on all the food packages. This registration procedure is to bring more accountability on the FBO to maintain the food quality.

Benefits of Food Licence

Given below are the main benefits of FSSAI license registration:

Increasing Brand Recognition:A License from FSSAI raises brand recognition, signaling of food safety.
Increasing Business Credibility: FSSAI Licence gives business credibility by following regulatory standards.
Getting More Customers:Certification ensures customers of food safety and attracts more customers.
Legal Stability: Legal stability and protection against compliance issues with FSSAI Licence.
Simplifying Supply Chain: Supply chain management is simplified by compliance with FSSAI regulations.
Consumer Trust and Loyalty: Through safety standards FSSAI Licence builds consumer trust and loyalty.
Access to New Markets:FSSAI Licence opens new markets for certified businesses.
International Recognition:FSSAI Licence indicates international standards and allows market entry into global markets.
Continuous Improvement:FSSAI encourages businesses to continue adapting to food safety requirements.

Types of FSSAI Registration

FSSAI registration depends on business types, turnover and production capacity. FBOs can obtain licenses like basic license, central license and state license depending on installed capacity and turnover.

Type of FSSAI Registration	Eligibility Criteria	FSSAI Registration Form
FSSAI Basic Registration	Turnover less than Rs.12 lakh p.a.	Form A
FSSAI State License	Turnover over Rs.12 lakh p.a. and less than Rs.20 crore p.a.	Form B
FSSAI Central License	Turnover over Rs.20 crore p.a.	Form B

FBOs Who Require FSSAI Food License

Given below is a list of FBOs who need to obtain the food license online:

Type of Food Business Operator	Examples
Petty retailers and retail shops	Retail shop, snacks shop, confectionery, bakery
Temporary stalls or fixed stall or food premise	Gol Gappa stall, chat stall, fruit/vegetable vendors, tea stall, snacks stall, bread pakora stall, samosa stall, Chinese food stall, South Indian food stall, sweet stall, juice shops
Hawkers	Sellers of packaged or freshly prepared food traveling from one location to another
Dairy units	Milk chilling units, petty milkman, milk vendors
Vegetable oil processing units	-
Slaughtering houses	Meat shops, mutton shops, chicken shops, lamb meat
Meat processing and fish processing units	-
Food manufacturing or processing units	Repacking of food
Proprietary food and Novel food	-
Cold/refrigerated storage facility	-
Transporter of food products	Insulated refrigerated van/wagon, milk tankers, food wagons, food trucks
Wholesaler, supplier, distributor, and marketer	-
Hotels, restaurants, and bars	-
Canteens and cafeteria	Including mid-day meal canteens
Food vending agencies and caterer	-
Dhaba, PG providing food, Banquet halls, home-based canteens, food stalls in fairs or religious institutions	-
Importers and exporters of food items	Including food ingredients
E-commerce food suppliers	Including cloud kitchens

Eligibility Criteria for Food Licensing Registration

All other FBOs except small-scale have to obtain the FSSAI license. FSSAI License can be divided into State FSSAI License along with Central FSSAI License depending on the business size either it is a medium scale or large scale business. Given below is the main eligibility for registration of fssai:

Eligibility Criteria	Description
Annual Turnover not exceeding Rs. 12 lakh	Any Food Business Operator (FBO) with an annual turnover of not more than Rs. 12 lakh is eligible for FSSAI registration.
Petty retailer dealing in food products	Individuals or businesses engaged in the retail sale of food products on a small scale qualify for FSSAI registration.
Individuals manufacturing or selling food articles	Any person involved in the manufacturing or selling of food articles individually is eligible for FSSAI registration.
Temporary stall holders selling food products	FSSAI registration is required for temporary stall holders engaged in the sale of food products.
Individuals distributing food in religious or social gatherings	Individuals distributing food in religious or social gatherings, excluding caterers, are eligible for FSSAI registration.
Small-scale or cottage industries in the food business	Small-scale or cottage industries involved in the food business are eligible for FSSAI registration.

Small businesses are also eligible with the following food capacity:

Sl.No	Type of Business	Capacity
1	Small-scale bakery	Production capacity of up to 100 kg/day
2	Dairy farm	Milk procurement, handling, and collection of up to 500 liters/day
3	Animal processing facility	Slaughtering capacity of 2 large animals or 10 small animals or 50 poultry birds per day or less
4	Local transportation service	Operating a single vehicle for transport
5	Retail vending machine business	Operating up to 12 vending machines within a single state/Union Territory

State FSSAI License

FBO with medium-sized manufacturing units, transporters, marketers, traders etc. must take State FSSAI registration from State Government. This category contains the following businesses:

FBO's must have turnover between Rs 12 lakh to Rs 20 crore (Rs 30 crore in case of transportation business and wholesaler).
All grains, cereals, pulses milling units without capacity limit.
Medium-scale businesses with the following food capacity limits:

Sl.No	Business	Capacity
1	Food production (not meat or milk)	1 Mt to 2 Mts per day
2	Dairy Farming and Milk Collection	Upto 50,000 liters per day
3	Animal Processing	Processing 3-50 large animals or equivalent per day
4	Warehousing	Storage capacity up to 10,000 metric tons
5	Logistics	Fleet of 100 vehicles
6	Hospitality	Accommodation ranging from one to four stars
7	Automated Retail	Up to 100 vending machines in a single state/territory

The license issued has a maximum tenure of 5 years along with no less than one year.

Central FSSAI License

Large manufacturers, importers and exporters of food products who conduct large food business have to obtain Central FSSAI registration from the Central Government. This category contains the following businesses:

FBO's must have a turnover over Rs 20 crore (Rs 30 crore in case of transportation business and wholesaler).
Following FBOs irrespective of turnover or business size:
- Food businesses in two or more states.
- Importers and exporters.
- Proprietary food and Non-specified food.
- Food/health supplements and Nutraceuticals.
- Foods may be processed by radiation.
- Food Business Activities at Central Govt Agencies premises.
- Caterers, restaurants, canteens, hawkers or petty retailers on railway station premises.
- E-commerce food business.
Large scale businesses with the following food capacity limits:

Sl.No	Business	Capacity
1	Food production (not milk or meat)	Exceeding 2 metric tons daily
2	Dairy product procurement and distribution	Over 50,000 liters daily
3	Livestock processing	Handling 50 or more large animals, or 150 or more small animals, or 1,000 or more poultry birds daily
4	Warehousing and storage	Capacity exceeding 10,000 metric tons
5	Logistics and transportation	Fleet of over 100 vehicles
6	High-end Hospitality	Rated five stars or higher
7	Automated vending services	Operating over 100 vending machines across two or more states/Union Territories

The license issued includes a maximum of five years and a maximum of one year.

Documents for FSSAI Registration Online

The basic set of documents required for food licensing registration are:

Required Documents	Description
Photo identity proof of the food business operators	Identification document confirming the identity of the individuals involved in the food business.
Business constitution certificate	Legal documentation verifying the structure of the business entity, such as partnership deed or certificate of incorporation.
Proof of possession of business premises	Documentation establishing ownership or legal occupancy of the business premises, such as rental agreement or NOC.
Food safety management system plan	Plan outlining the food safety management system implemented by the business to ensure food safety compliance.
List of food products manufactured or processed	Comprehensive list enumerating all the food products manufactured or processed by the business.
Bank account information	Details of the bank account associated with the food business for financial transactions.
Supporting documents (if required)	Additional documents as per specific requirements, such as NOC from Municipality or Health Department.

Additional Documents for FSSAI State License:

The documents needed for State fssai license registration are:

Required Documents	Description
Form B duly completed and signed	Official form completed and signed for FSSAI state license application.
Plan of the processing unit	Layout plan illustrating the dimensions and area allocation of the processing unit.
List of Directors/Partners/Proprietor	Details of individuals associated with the business, including their addresses, contact information, and photo IDs.
Equipment and machinery list	Inventory of equipment and machinery used in the processing unit, specifying numbers and capacities.
Authority letter from manufacturer	Authorization letter from the manufacturer designating a responsible person with name and address.
Water analysis report	Report confirming the suitability of water for use in the processing, ensuring its potability.
Certificate under Coop Act 1861/Multi-State Coop Act	Copy of the certificate obtained under the Cooperative Act, if applicable.

Additional Documents for FSSAI Central License

The documents needed for central food license and registration are:

Required Documents	Description
Form B duly completed and signed	Official form completed and signed for FSSAI central license application.
Plan of the processing unit	Layout plan illustrating the dimensions and area allocation of the processing unit.
List of Directors/Partners/Proprietor	Details of individuals associated with the business, including their addresses, contact information, and photo IDs.
Equipment and machinery list	Inventory of equipment and machinery used in the processing unit, specifying numbers and capacities.
Authority letter from manufacturer	Authorization letter from the manufacturer designating a responsible person with name and address.
Water analysis report	Report confirming the suitability of water for use in the processing, ensuring its potability.
Source of raw materials	Documentation providing details of the source of raw materials, such as milk, meat, etc.
Recall plan	Plan outlining procedures for product recall in case of emergencies.
Ministry of Commerce Certificate (for 100% EOU)	Certificate issued by the Ministry of Commerce for 100% Export Oriented Units (EOU).
NOC/PA document issued by FSSAI	No Objection Certificate (NOC)/Pre-Approval document issued by FSSAI.
IE code document issued by DGFT	Import Export (IE) code document issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
Form IX	Official form IX required for certain FSSAI central license applications.
Certificate from Ministry of Tourism	Certificate from the Ministry of Tourism, if applicable.
Supporting documents for turnover and transportation	Additional documentation supporting proof of turnover and transportation.
Declaration form	Official declaration form required for FSSAI central license application.

FSSAI Registration and Licence Process

FBOs can obtain FSSAI registration online via Form A or Form B on the FSSAI FoSCoS portal.
Offline registration is also possible by submitting Form A or Form B to the Food and Safety Department.
Required documents must be uploaded online or submitted physically with the application.
Department will review the application within 7 days and may conduct inspections if necessary.
If criteria are met, FSSAI registration certificate will be granted with a registration number.
Certificate can be downloaded from FoSCoS portal, and must be displayed prominently at the business premises.

FSSAI Licence Cost

Given below is the food license price:

FSSAI Registration Type	Cost/Fee
Basic Registration	Rs.100
State License	Rs.2,000 to Rs.5,000 (Depending on business type)
Central License	Rs.7,500

FSSAI License Renewal

It requires the FSSAI license to start the food business and also to renew the license. The license is good for one year or five years and the business must renew thirty days before the expiration of the present license.

Penalties for Non-Compliance with FSSAI Norms in India

Any registered or licensed person under the FSSAI must comply with the FSS Act, 2006 rules and regulation. Food safety officer usually inspects the facility of food business operator and determines compliance with the regulation by using checklist. Based on the compliance level, the food safety officer marks it as:

Compliance (C)
Non-compliance (NC)
PC or Partial compliance
Not applicable/Not observed (NA)

Based on the above, the food safety officer might issue an improvement notice where required under Section 32 of the FSS Act, 2006. In case the business operator doesn't abide by the improvement notice, the officer may cancel the license in case the licensee fails to present cause. Any Food business operator upset by an improvement notice may appeal to the State Commissioner of Food Safety. The decision thereon can be appealed to Food Safety Appellate Tribunal/High Court.

The table below provides the specific penalties imposed for various violations:

Sl.No	Particulars	Fine
1	Violation of food quality standards	2 Lakh (Petty manufacturer 25,000/-)
2	Sale of substandard food products	5 Lakh
3	Selling misbranded food items	3 Lakh
4	False or misleading advertising	10 Lakh
5	Presence of foreign matter in food products	1 Lakh
6	Non-compliance with directives from Food Safety Officer	2 Lakh
7	Unsanitary processing or manufacturing practices	1 Lakh

Why Choose StartupFino for FSSAI License in India?

StartupFino is a company that specializes in offering complete services for FSSAI Licence and registration. We can help with advice in the initial phase to ensure you have all the requirements and compliances for your license and registration.

FAQs

All Food business operators (pharmacies or medical stores selling Health supplements or Nutraceutical products) must apply for the FSSAI license/registration.

FSSAI Basic Registration - Fee Rs.100. FSSAI State License - Fee between Rs.2,000 and Rs.5,000 (Depending on kind of business carried out) FSSAI Central License - Fee Rs.7,500.

FSSAI officer will inquire and inspect the Place of Food Business and prepare report based on it. The appropriate authority must issue FSSAI/Food license within 60 days.

Businesses selling homemade foods must register with FSSAI or obtain basic FSSAI registration. If your annual revenue is above Rs. 12 Lakh, you are required to obtain an FSSAI Licence.

Those who manufacture or sell food items either themselves or via a retailer, hawker, itinerant vendor or a temporary stall owner except a caterer.

All food businesses that generate more than Rs. 40 lakhs irrespective of FSSAI registration status have to get GST.

Any Food business that manufactures, stores, transports or distributes Food in India requires a food Safety and Standards Authority of India License or Registration.

Free Consultation By Expert