How To Get the FSSAI License? Requirements & Procedure

The FSSAI- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is a Regulatory body responsible for supervising the safety & standard of food business across the nation. 

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To run a food business in India, an FSSAI certificate or FSSAI license is mandatory. In today's world, as people prefer certified food consumption, FSSAI license can provide the food business with legal benefits and expansion scope. Not to forget it builds goodwill and trust, ensures food being wholesome, creates consumer awareness. 

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Here are the complete insights into getting your food chain registered under FSSAI. Read the necessary procedures and requirements and know How to get the FSSAI license?

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1. FSSAI- Food Safety & Standard Authority Of India

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Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, commonly known as FSSAI, is an autonomous organization. The sole purpose of FSSAI is to set food standards, also to regulate their manufacture, distribution, sale and storage, import to ensure availability of healthy food. FSSAI is an independent body established under the regulations of the Food Safety & Standard Act, 2006 of the Indian government.

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The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in India has empowered FSSAI as a supreme authority to monitor the standard of food, storage facility, sale, and distributional services, etc. in India.

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FSSAI is responsible for several quality checks of the food products by reducing food adulteration and distribution of low-grade food products. FSSAI license is mandatory for FBO- Food Business Operators in India. 

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The organization is accountable for regulating an information network over the nation to ensure the consumer about the safety and quality of the food products along with the accurate details of the product and company.

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2. Requirements Of FSSAI License Certificate

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The FSSAI Basic license or registration is applicable for every business sector FBO, including small food products businesses in India. The following food businesses are falling under this registration category:

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• A Food Business Operator with a yearly turnover of Rs 12 lakhs and not crossing that limit is subject to this basic registration
• Petty retailers trading food products
• Any sole proprietorship business dealing with food products
• Temporary stall owner dealing with food products sale
• Apart from the caterer, any individual distributes food in social and religious gatherings or occasions
• Any cottage business sectors or small entities dealing with food supply and the below-mentioned services:

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3. Procedure To Acquire FSSAI registration Certificate

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• By the Regulations of the Food & safety Department, FSSAI Registration is commenced by presenting the Form A (Application)

• There is no surety for the acceptance of the application. It depends on the decision of the department, the rejection or receipt of the application has to be disclosed to the respective applicant within 7 days of time

• The authority will permit the registration certificate with a photocopy of the respective applicant along with the registration number, after the acceptance of the application

• The FSSAI Registration certificate needs to be displayed prominently by the FBO during working hours

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As per the guidelines, these are the foremost documents needed for Basic, Central, and State Registrations, i.e photo of passport and photocopy of a valid ID proof. 

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The additional documents needed for the Central and state Registrations stated below:

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• A copy of Address proof
• A definite Layout plan
• Food category list
• Equipment list
• NOC required from the respective Municipality corporation
• Directors and partners information list
• Incorporation certificate
• Memorandum of association MOA & Article of association AOA for the registration process to state the aims & objectives, shareholders relationship with the company
• Report of water test
• Export & Import code

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4. FSSAI License Criterion

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Except for small scale organizations, the FSSAI license is mandatory for the FBO. Mainly FSSAI License is categorized into two sections- CENTRAL FSSAI LICENSE & STATE FSSAI LICENSE depending on the volume of the business structure for both the large scale or medium scale businesses.

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FBO operating as a large scale business enterprises, exporter & importer trading in a wide-scale food supply they need to have an FSSAI license under the regulations of the central government. 

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The small scale business sectors such as traders, transporters, and manufacturing units need to have FSSAI Registration under the regulations of the respective state government. 

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To register for the state license, FBO has to show a turnover of Rs 12 lakh to Rs 20 crore.

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In addition to that, other terms include a capacity unit of 2MT/Day is required for the manufacturing units, 50000 liters/ day businesses handling dairy units. Not only that, but even the hotel industry is also rated with 3 stars and above, Clubs, repackers, and catering services businesses are falling into this group as per their business turnover. 

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The minimum tenure of the license is 1 year and maximum upto 5 years.

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5. How To Get the FSSAI License?

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It takes around 60 days of time to acquire FSSAI Registration. So these are following steps leading you to the registration completion:

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• Online FSSAI licensing can be done by filling up the registration Form A and complete the payment procedure at a nearby local FBO

• As soon as the payment is confirmed, it will show up in your respective account. Then you have to move towards filing Form B under the government regulations. Apart from this, you need to file other resolutions & declarations such as ownership resolution and broad resolution. 

• After the completion of this process, you have to keep notifying the government department. You have to respond within the 15 days' time after the review of the application; otherwise, it will be canceled.

• Minimum 45-60 working days required by the government department to complete the review process. After the verification, the License will be approved. In some instances, food inspectors may charge a fee.

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6. Document Requirements for FSSAI License

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6.1 Documents required FSSAI Central License

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• Duly completed & authorized Form B
• Processing unit's plan shows the allocation of the area Operation wise and dimension
• Directors, Proprietor or Partners list along with the details as in photocopy of ID proof, Address and contact information
• Machinery & equipment list and name based on installed capacity and number
• List of manufacturing food category
• A document letter or authorization along with the details such as address proof, name of the concerned person nominated by the manufacturer 
• To validate the probability, analysis details of water that will be used in the operation
• The raw material required for meat, milk, etc. sources
• The Ministry of Commerce authentication for 100 percent EOU
• FSSAI issued the respective PA or NOC document
• DGFT- Director General Of Foreign Trade certified IE code Document
• Certification from the Tourism Ministry of India
• Proof of proprietorship of premises
• Affidavit of Ownership or Partnership deed
• Manufacturer's copy of License and NOC
• A certification or plan of the management system related to Food safety
• The Local body or Municipality certified a NOC
• Proof of transportation & annual turnover documents
• Form IX
• Declaration Form

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6.2 Documents required FSSAI State License

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• Certificate copy acquired under the Multistate Coop Act 2002 or Coop Act 1861
• Proof of proprietorship of premises
• Affidavit of Ownership or Partnership deed
• Manufacturer's copy of License and NOC
• A certification or plan of the management system related to Food safety
• Duly completed & authorized Form B
• Processing unit's plan shows the allocation of the area Operation wise and dimension
• Directors, Proprietor or Partners list along with the details as in photocopy of ID proof, Address and contact information
• Machinery & equipment list and name on the basis of installed capacity and number
• List of manufacturing food category
• A document letter of authorization along with the details such as address proof, name of the concerned person nominated by the manufacturer 
• To validate the probability, analysis details of water that will be used in the operation

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7. Fee for FSSAI Licenses

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8. FSSAI Food License Benefits

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Acquiring a license helps the business deal with food products with legal benefits, build goodwill, business expansion assistance, ensure food safety, and increase consumer awareness. 

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Alongside this, it regulates the import and export of food, supply chain, sale of the food, distributional services, and storage facility. In order to operate a food business, FSSAI certificate or License is quite essential to ensure the food quality concerned with the business and to receive benefits from the non-compliance services of the government.

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Read here how to apply FSSAI Registration

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9. Frequently Asked Question On FSSAI

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9.1 What is Improvement Notice & who issues it?

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Under the Regulations of FSS Act, 2006, any FBO declines to comply with the Regulations of the food and safety department. A DO designated officer can issue an Improvement Notice to the respective FBO.

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9.2 Is it possible to file an appeal against suspension or cancellation of license, Improvement notice?

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Yes! Any FBO- Food Business Operator can file an appeal against the suspension or cancellation, improvement notice. But the decision taken by the food and safety department will be considered as the final verdict. However, an FBO can challenge the decision of the High Court, the food safety tribunal of the respective state government.

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9.3 When can a Director Officer cancel the license?

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A Director Officer DO has the authority to cancel or suspend the license of an FBO under the Regulations of the food and safety department after presenting the valid cause by the applicant.

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9.4 What is the timeline for appealing to the State Commissioner of Food Safety?

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Within the 15 Days time after the commencement of the notice, any FBO has the right to appeal to the Food safety commission.

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9.5 Is it possible to alter the manual license online & how?

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Yes, it is possible to convert to the manual license to the online proceedings. To make it effective, an individual needs to approach the respective DO of the zonal area. DO will create a User- ID, online password, and auto-generated registration number, which can eventually be used for the online renewal.

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9.6 What are the fees required for the modification of license & is it possible?

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Any changes can be made in the license if an individual is intended to do so. But to make any changes in Form C, the applicant needs to pay charges though there are no other charges levied on other sections of license.

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9.7 What are the types of licenses?

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Under the Regulations of (Licensing & Registration)FSS, 2011, the license for FBO are classified into three distinct categories, such as - Central, State, and Registration.

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9.8 Is it required to get an FSSAI license for medical centers dealing with Dietary foods or supplements acquired from plants?

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Yes! It's mandatory to have an FSSAI license for any FBO, either its medical store or any other organization that deals with the food products.

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9.9 What is the procedure to renew the license if it's expired?

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Any FBO dealing with food business needs to renew their active license before the expiry date. If any individual fails to do so, a new application and Registration is required to operate the business.

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9.10 What is the validity period of the FSSAI license?

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Generally, the basic FSSAI license is valid somewhere around 1year to 5 years. However, if any FBO wishes to extend the license terms and period additional fees required.

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9.11 How can I get registered for FSSAI?

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1. You can registered for FSSAI by going to their official website https://fssai.gov.in/cms/registration.php and filling up the Application in Form A and submit the basic documents asked.2. You have to pay a registration fee as per the section of food business you fall in. A unique code will be generated. 3. The acceptance or rejection of your application depends on the committee, it checks whether or not the application fulfills the set parameters or not. 4. Once it is satisfied that the information provided by the person is correct and inspection officer will visit the FBO place. You will be intimated about the same within 7 days of your application submission date.5. On the successful inspection registration number will be assigned to you along with your photo.Note- Registration number does not mean that you are assigned with your license number.

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9.12 How can I get a FSSAI certificate?

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https://foodlicensing.fssai.gov.in/index.aspx log in to this site.1. In order to get certificate, you need to fill out the Form B and attach the FBO photo identity.2. You also have to submit the Certificate of incorporation and rental agreement of the office or shops. 3. Along with the copies and certificate you also need to provide FSSAI with the list of food products you deal in and plan for maintaining the safety and standard of the products. 4. After submission wait for few days for the verification by FSSAI and inspecting officer form the FSSAI. 5. Once it ensures that you have followed al the set standards and submitted genuine documents you will be assigned with the certificate within 7-30 days bracket.However you should note that central and state license document requirements are different so thouroughly check the requirements.

9.13 Who needs a FSSAI license?

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All the Food Business Owners operating in India needs to get registered. FBOs with turnover more than 12lac p.a need to get registered and licensed. Businesses like hotels, café, packaged food fall under FSSAI license scheme. The detailed list of businesses that need license is mentioned in detail under Schedule1 of FSS act 2006.

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9.14 What is FSSAI license for?

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FSSAI license is important for any food business operator operating in India. It is meant for regulating the food business sector and maintaining a standard quality throughout the country. FSSAI license is a legal approval that you can operate your food business or sell your edible item in India, as you have surpassed the requirements set in FSS Act 2006. It increases the credibility of business and makes sure the set standards are maintained.

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9.15 How much does a FSSAI license cost?

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FSSAI license cost differs from category to category. The Schedule 3 of FSS act 2006 gives a detailed fee structure. You have to pay depending on the category you fall in. The category is based on your turnover, type of business and assets generated from the business.1. For Registration- 17992. For Central – 7500 3. For State- 7500Schedule 3 gives a more detailed fee structure. Note: The requirement of FSSAI license for registration, center and state differ depending on the revenue you generate. Also if you turnover is upto 12 lakhs, p.a , then you need to have FSSAI registration license only.

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9.16 How can I pay the FSSAI fee?

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There are two modes of payment of the fee.1. You can follow the online payment method on the registration portal and opt for payment through debit card or other options available.2. You can also pay through treasury challan from treasury office or CSC centre. In case of state or central registration, you need to get the treasury challan signed by the senior officer at the treasury office.

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9.17 What is the difference between FSSAI registration and licensing?

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FSSAI registration is for small business owner with turnover upto 12 lakhs and FSSAI licensing is for the Food business operators with turnover more than 12 lakhs along with registration, they have to get State and Central license. For the registration process you need to fill out the application Form A while for the licensing you need to fill the Application Form B. The licensing process is much more complex and lengthy than the registration process.

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9.18 How much time will it take to get a FSSAI license?

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You will get your FSSAI license within 30 days of filling out your application and submitting the required fee, and you will receive the notification for inspection by the officer within 7 days.

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9.19 Is it easy to get a FSSAI license?

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Yes,it is easy to get a FSSAI license provided you follow all the procedure and present all the required documents when needed. Though the decision of approving the request for registration and licensing is solely in the hands of the FSSAI officials, you only have to make sure that you comply to the pre-defined set rules and standards to get the license.

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9.20 Is FDA and FSSAI the same?

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No, FDA and FSSAI are not the same. FDA stands for Food and Drug Administration and deals with the testing and sampling activities of the drugs and food products. FSSAI stands for Food Safety and Standard Authority of India and deals with registering and licensing of the Food business operators.

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9.21 Is FSSAI mandatory for Swiggy?

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Yes, FSSAI is mandatory for Swiggy and it is mandatory for any other app dealing with food or packed food materials, even if it is only delivering or is completely online with no physical existence.

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9.22 Can I start a business with Swiggy or Zomato from home?

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Yes, you can absolutely start a business with Swiggy or Zomato from home. They have a complete set of guidelines for their food partners. You can g to their website and visit the partner with us section, a series of criteria will appear, check whether you fulfill all criterion or not and partner with the desired app.