FSSAI
Food License Registration certificate is required to run a food product business. You have to register under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to manufacture, distribute and transport food products. FSSAI is established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. FSSAI Certificate and FSSAI License are same which ensures the quality, purity and other important factors the customers can rely upon.
All eligible Food Business Operators (FBOs) like manufacturers, storage units, transporters, retailers, marketers, distributors, etc. need to have a state license or central license to carry on business. Without license or registration, any food business can be shut down by the FSSAI at any time with huge penalties.
Type of Food Licences :
| License Type | Eligibility | Validity |
| FSSAI Basic License | Annual turnover of the business is less than 12 lakhs | 1 Year |
| FSSAI State License | Annual turnover of the business is between 12 to 20 crores | 1 To 5 Years |
| FSSAI Central License | Annual turnover of the business is above 20 crores | 1 To 5 Years |
You can apply fssai license from fssai official website (fssai.gov.in).
There are 3 types of FSSAI license:—
Basic Registration
For business whose turnover is less then 12 lakhs. This license is generally used by small restaurants and food vendors. As this is just a registration and not a license.
State license
For business whose turnover is more then 12 lakhs and less then 20 crores. This license is generally used by small and medium FBO. Also if you’ve office in more then one state then you’ll have to take central license.
Central license
For business whose turnover is more then 20 crores. This license is generally issued to big FBO. As the manufacturing facility has to comply with the fssai schedule 4. And also if you’re doing online ecommerce business then ecommerce central license is mandatory. Irrespective of your turnover.
All food business operators. Including Manufacturer, wholesalers, distributors, farmer, market & supplier are required to get an fssai according to their turnover.
Inspection only happens in state and central license. In basic registration the license is granted or issued in 3–7 working days.
Applying for an fssai license is a very tedious task. As they require a lot of documents which generally most of the food business operator does not have. For example for State and central license you’ll have procure water analysis report, FSMS plan & certificate, layout of the factory and few more.
So it’s better to apply your license by a professional. As the chance of rejection is very high if you apply it yourself. And they never refund the govt. Fee. This is a policy of fssai dept. So for saving few bucks you might loose all the money.
Following are the manufacturers who should be applying for FSSAI Registration:
| Dairy units including chilling units equipped to handle or process | Upto 500 LPD of Milk or upto 2.5 MT of milk sold per annum |
| Vegetable oil processing unit producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries oil expleller unit | Turnover Upto 12 Lakh/Per Annum |
| Slaughtering Units | Large Animals upto 2 per daySmall Animal upto 10 per dayPoultry Birds 50 Per day |
| Meat Processing Unit | Turnover upto 12 lakh/per annum |
| All food processing units including retailers and repacker | Turnover not exceeding Rs 12 Lakhs and whose production capacity of food does not exceed 100 Kg/Ltr per day |
Other food business units who should be applying for FSSAI Basic Registration :
| Storage (Except controlled atmosphere and cold) | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Storage (Cold/refrigerated) | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Storage (Controlled Atmosphere and Cold) | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Wholesaler | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Retailer | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Distributor | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Supplier | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Dhaba, boarding houses serving food, Banquet halls with food catering arrangements, Home based canteens/ Dabbawalas, Permanent/Temporary stall holder, food stalls/arrangements in religious gatherings/fairs etc. Fish/meat/poultry shop/seller or any other food vending establishment | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Club/Canteen | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Hotel | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Restaurant | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Transporter | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Marketer | Turnover up to 12 lakhs per annum |
| Hawker (Itinerant/mobile food vendor) | All must register |
| Petty retailer of snacks/tea shops | All must register |
Documents Required for Basic Food Licence
- Signed application form
- Photo Identity Proof of the Food Business Owner
- Photocopy of PAN Card
- Latest Passport Size Photograph
- Proof of Possession of the Premises(Land Papers, lease agreement or Rental Agreement)
- Articles Of Association /Certificate of incorporation/ Partnership Deed, if applicable
- An extensive list of food items FBO will be dealing with and handling
- The plan for Food Safety System Management [Not needed for Basic FSSAI registration]
Additional Documents required for State FSSAI License
- Blueprint or layout of the proposed location
- Detailed list of Equipment and Machinery installed or to be installed at the location
- NOC and copy of the license from manufacturers
- Authority letter with particulars about the name and address of the person responsible.
Additional Documents required for Central FSSAI License
- Water Report Analysis from a well-established and/or a government health laboratory
- Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued IEC (Import Export Code)
- Pesticide Residue Report of the water for units involved in the manufacturing of mineral or carbonated water
- Designated milk provider/ Source of Milk
- Proof of Annual turnover, if required
- Meat provider/ Meat processing units
- Certificates allotted by the Ministry of Tourism, if applicable
- Vehicles turnover proof, if applicable
Based on the forms and documents that you have submitted, your license may be accepted or rejected or may be sent for inspection. In the case of inspection, you need to wait for a certain amount of time for an inspector to visit your premises to make sure that the FSSAI standards are being met.
Finally, the FSSAI license is granted up to a maximum period of 5 years and you need to apply for renewal again before reaching the expiry date.
The FSSAI license renewal procedure is similar to the license application procedure and can take up to 45-60 days for the completion of the procedure. The license will then be renewed again for a period of up to 5 years.