FSSAI License and Registration: The Food Business Permit in India

Planning to start a Food Business in India? Go ahead! However, you must know that starting a Food Business, be it an Industry or a Restaurant, is not so simple. One must find the right place, hire employees, and market it right. Business owners must go through a legal process of obtaining a food business permit. In India, all the food business operators i.e. from hawkers to large scale industries are required to get the 14 digits unique FSSAI license or registration number – the food business permit of India. Keep on reading to understand more about the FSSAI License need for your food business.

The FSSAI licensing and registration is a mandatory requirement for all kind of food businesses such as manufacturing (processing, relabeling and/or repackaging), Distribution, Wholesale, Marketing, Transport, Retail, Import, Export etc. The FSSAI grants license or registration for each premise of the food business operator, applicable for the kind of activities performed at the premise.

The FSSAI grants license or registration in the format of ‘Form-C’, which is of the following three types:

1. FSSAI Central License – The central license is issued by the central authority for the food business premises which either have a production capacity of more than 2 MT per day or have a turnover of more than INR 20 crores per annum. Large scale food industries, hotels and restaurant fall under the eligibility for central license. The Import, Export and e-commerce of Food is directly regulated by the central authority and thereby requires Central License. The application fees for FSSAI central license is Rs. 7500 per year.

 

2. FSSAI State License – The state license is issued by the state authority for the food business premises which either have a production capacity of not more than 2 MT per day or have a turnover ranging from INR 12 lakhs to INR 20 crores per annum. The application fees for FSSAI State license is Rs. 2000 per year.

 

3. FSSAI Registration – The registration is also issued by the state authority for the petty or small food business operators that have a turnover of up to INR 12 lakhs per annum. The Hawkers, petty retailers of snacks, tea shops also fall under this category. The application fees for FSSAI registration is Rs. 100 per year.

The application for FSSAI registration is applied through submitting Form-A, whereas the application for state or central license is applied through submitting Form-B. The FSSAI license and registration can be applied for a period ranging from 1 year to a maximum of 5 years, after which one can file for the Renewal of FSSAI license.

The FSSAI License and registration application process requires filing of various documents in the specified format. Only after the complete scrutiny of the application dossier, and site inspection, the authority grants FSSAI license or registration. In case of requirement of any further document or information, the FSSAI intimates the applicant for the same. The timeline from the submission of application to the grant of license is up to 60 days, however, the applicants often seek support from the experts to speed up the process. Only after the license has been issued, the Food Business Operator (FBO) can commence the activities at the authorized premises. The FBOs are required to ensure that any change in the business as per the issued license is reported to FSSAI and the required application for Modification of FSSAI License is filed.

Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements is highly important to avoid any hindrance in the business. For regulatory compliance, taking the services from experienced professionals is recommended to fulfil all the requirements. While you are busy planning and setting up your food business, the consultants take all your pain of doing the paperwork and apply for the license on your behalf.

Need more information on FSSAI license and registration? Write to us at https://www.foodsafetymantra.com/contact-us/.

Reference –

• Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011 – https://fssai.gov.in/dam/jcr:b37feea8-d1d6-4a12-800a-e9290ea72e1d/Licensing_Regulations.pdf Accessed on 11th February 2019.