We are helping thousands of businesses to get the Registration or License under FSSAI. We intend to deal with the applicability of the FSSAI to your food business. We are helping thousands of FBO comply with the standards and rules of the FSSAI
Food License is a permission granted by the FSSAI to carry on the food business. This food License is location specific and is also term bound. It carries a 14-digit registration number. Licensing/ Registration of food business is mandatory in India.The provision for this has been made in Food Safety and Standards Act,2006, which extends to the whole of India. It is an Act to consolidate the laws relating to food ,which establishes the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
It is essential to know whether the FBO needs just registration or a central/state licence for its business. Typically, all small food business operators who are not doing any manufacturing or processing and having an annual turnover of less than 12 lacs and are carrying business in one state only need to seek FSSAI Registration. In contrast, the Other food business operator needs to procure a licence. A detailed description of the eligibility is discussed in the eligibility section of this page.
Even NGOs involved in distribution of surplus food or Temples organising langar or bhandara,offering prashad need FSSAI License or Registration as per their eligibility criteria.
Every Food Business Operator needs to seek either registration or licence from the food department. The applicant’s eligibility for food registration and the licence is determined based on turnover, production capacity, nature of business and area of operation cumulatively. Even if an FBO falls in the category of registration as per turnover, its nature makes him eligible for licences. The FBO has to apply for a licence (State/Central Licence).
| FSSAI Registration | FSSAI State Licence | FSSAI Central Licence |
|---|---|---|
| FSSAI Registration is applicable If the annual turnover of the FBO is less than Rs. 12 Lakhs | FBO leed to seek state licence if annual turnover is more than 12 lakhs but less than 20 crores | The central licence is required if the annual turnover is more than 20 crores except for transporters. In the case of Transporters, the central licence is required if turnover is more than Rs. 30 Crores per annum. |
| FSSAI Registration | FSSAI State Licence | FSSAI Central Licence |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
| FSSAI Registration | FSSAI State Licence | FSSAI Central Licence |
|---|---|---|
| A petty manufacturer who himself manufactures or sells any article of food can do business at one location only and thus requires registration with the concerned food authority. | Suppose FBO is operating within the state, and its limit does exceed the turnover and production capacity enumerated above for central licence. In that case, it requires a state licence or registration at each location at which it carries its food activity. In simple words, if an FBO has ten outlets in a state, it will require ten state license or registration based on its turnover and/or production capacity, i.e. separate state licence or registration for each location. | FBO carrying business in more than one state need to apply for the central license in the state in which its head office is located |
| FSSAI Registration | FSSAI State Licence | FSSAI Central Licence |
|---|---|---|
| Registration is required for Petty Milkman, Milk Vendors.A producer of milk who is a registered member of a dairy Cooperative Society registered under Cooperative Societies Act and supplies or sells the entire milk to the Society does not require registration with FSSAI | All Cereals, Grains, units of Pulses Milling without any limit on Production capacity require a state fssai licence |
|
Each step involves converting raw material derived from natural sources like agriculture produce, livestock, earth, air etc. For intermediate or final consumption is called manufacture or processing. The process includes procurement, receipt, preparation, Manufacturing/processing, packaging, storage, distribution & transportation of food products.
FBO having a manufacturing/processing unit means a person/entity which owns or operates an establishment that manufactures or processes a food product. It includes contract manufacturers, contract packers and other entities that manufacture or process a food product. FoSCoS has further classified the food manufacturing/Processing unit in the below categories:
Dairy Unit: Dairy processing means processing, handling, manufacturing, storing, packing & distribution or transportation of milk and the products made of milk
Vegetable Oil And Processing Units: Vegetable oil processing and refining results in the vegetable oil, extraction of solvents/expeller from the vegetables
Slaughtering Units: Slaughtering means transporting, stunning, butchering, dressing, processing, storing & distributing of live animals/poultry birds.
Meat Processing Units: Processing, packaging, storing & transportation of meat & meat products of slaughtered animals/poultry birds. It also includes Fish Processing, handling, manufacturing of fish products, packing, storing, distribution & transportation.
Food Or Health Supplements And Nutraceuticals Etc.: As per Food Safety and Standards (Food or Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Foods for Special Dietary Uses, Foods for Specialised Medical Purposes, Functional Foods, and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016
Proprietary Food: Proprietary Food means a food article that has not been standardised under the FSSAI Regulations. However, it does not include novel foods, foods for special dietary uses, foods for particular medical purposes, functional foods, nutraceuticals, health supplements and other food articles.
Non-specified food and food ingredients: Though the FSSAI standards apply to almost all food articles, however ther are food articles apart from the proprietary Food or Food ingredients, such as additives, processing aids and enzymes for which the FSSAI has not come up with standards. The FBO dealing in these kinds of food articles must apply for product approval under FSSAI (Approval of non-specified food and food ingredients) Regulations. The licenses for non-specific food items and food ingredients are dealt with by the FSSAI at their headquarter in Delhi.
Substances Added to Food: Substances added to Food means Food Additives, Enzymes and their preparations, Source, Flavouring agents and their preparations, Processing Aids, Nutrients and their preparations, Microorganisms and Microbial Preparations & Functional Ingredients added to Food as specified under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations.
Trading FBO is a person or entity which deals in manufactured/processed food but is not directly involved in the manufacturing/processing of food. FoSCoS has further classified food FBO as Trader in the below categories:
Storage (Other than Cold Storage): The facilities used to store the food products, whether in packaged or unpackaged conditions, for further distribution. It includes warehouses and godowns etc., by whatever name is called.
Cold Storage (For Refrigerated or Frozen Foods): This includes the storage facilities having a facility to maintain controlled temperature, suitable for safe storage of food articles in frozen or refrigerated stage, for its further sale or supply in the usual trade.
Cold Storage (Not For Refrigerated or Frozen Foods): The Cold Storage facility is commonly used to warehousing the food products in packed or unpacked condition at a controlled temperature. This is generally used to store dry commodities & agricultural produce, where the concentrations of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, temperature and humidity are regulated
Wholesaler: The wholesaler is an FBO that typically buys the food products in bulk and sells them to small retailers or resellers for further sale to the end-user.
Distributor: The distributors are those food business operators appointed by the manufacturers of food products to sell the products through an established sales network of wholesalers and retailers.
Supplier: In the supply chain of the food products, suppliers play a very significant role in carrying out the supplies to the consumer based on the specific requirement raised by such consumer.
Marketer: Marketing (Self) means promoting the food product of a brand in the market which the self owns. Marketing (Third Party) means promoting the food product of a brand in the market that the self does not own.
Transporters: Transportation is an activity of transporting food products (both packed and bulk) from one location to another in vehicles/containers, including specialized vehicles like insulated refrigerated van/ wagon, oil/milk tankers etc.
Retailer: Retail is an activity where food products are procured from a manufacturer, distributor or wholesaler and sold to the ultimate end user.
Food Vending Agencies: Agencies engaged in selling packaged or fresh food from a temporary or fixed stall/cart/ machine by an individual or through automated vending machines.
The FBO which is engaged in providing food services whether at its premises or at the premises of clients by way of selling or serving prepared food including the raw food and beverages falls in the category of Food service provider. FoSCoS has further classified food FBO as Food Service Providers is as under :
Petty Retailer Of Snacks/Tea Shops: Temporary or fixed stall or food premise involved in preparation, storage, distribution and sale of food products that can be served as snacks/ tea/coffee and similar variants.
Hawker (Itinerant / Mobile food vendor): Selling packaged or freshly prepared food by travelling (usually on foot or movable carts) from one location to another.
Restaurants: Restaurant is a type of food service operation which prepares, serves food and drinks to customers in exchange for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services, and some offer only take-out and delivery.
Club/Canteen: Canteen or Cafeteria is a dining area in an institution/ establishment serving food (being prepared in the premises or procured from another location or source) to individuals associated with or visiting the institution.
Caterer: Food Service Establishment involved in preparation and serving of food for consumption of a group of individuals working or visiting offices of railways.
Supplier: In the supply chain of the food products, suppliers play a very significant role in carrying out the supplies to the consumer based on the specific requirement raised by such consumer.
Hotel: Hotel is a commercial establishment providing lodging, meals, and other guest services.In general, to be called a hotel, an establishment must have a minimum of six letting bedrooms, at least three of which must have attached (ensuite) private bathroom facilities
FSSAI licenses issued to food businesses are valid for a period of 1 to 5 years.
It is mandatory to apply for licence renewal 30 days before the expiry of the existing licence. Non-renewal of licences can fetch a fine of ₹100 per day until the renewal is done.
Yes, you do. You need a central licence registered from the address in the import export code.
Yes, whether you manufacture, distribute, transport or trade food additives, you will need an FSSAI licence to do it.
It is mandatory for all catering establishments, even the railways, defence and airport to get an FSSAI licence.
Perhaps you have a few separate warehouses within one city, then you will need a separate licence for each. If all your warehouses are confined to one campus, however, you can apply for a single licence citing the campus’s address.
Yes, the process is 100% online. We will provide you with a dashboard in which you can comfortably do everything.
For a basic FSSAI registration, it takes 7-10 days from the day the application is filed. For state and central licence, it may take up to 30 days to get your licence.
The registration authority may reject the registration application where the reply to the clarification is not filed within 30 days of raising such clarification.
Suppose a Petty food manufacturer fails to obtain a registration. In that case, a fine not exceeding Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment for up to 6 months may be imposed, depending on the nature of the offence. The sale of food products without a quality tag will lead to a penalty of Rs 5 lacs, whereas a fine of Rs 3 lakh is levied for sale without a label. Thus, homemade food suppliers, dabbawala, home baker, etc., should register themselves to avoid hefty fines and imprisonment. Kindly contact team setindiabiz to get your food business registration.
