What is FSSAI? Importance, License Types & Step-by-Step Registration Guide

What is FSSAI?

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous regulatory body that was established by law under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It operates under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, entrusted with the responsibility of deciding and implementing a uniform and science-based standard for food products. It regulates food manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution, sales and import so as to ensure proper safety, cleanliness and hygiene is maintained. FSSAI license in India has been made the first and foremost criterion that has to be met to ensure the food items sold are safe for consumption and pass on the best of nutritional value to the consumers. FSSAI registration is mandatory and one of the most essential conditions for food businesses of any scale.

Why Can’t You Afford to Ignore FSSAI?

It’s essential and thus mandatory; you need it to be credible and thus relevant in information and concern-dominated markets; all markets are so. Don’t you know how choosy current consumers are?

Uniform standards throughout: FSSAI is a standardized law when implemented across all verticals and departments. As a result, there is no scope for confusion, and it helps in easier, smoother and more consistent regularization.

Assurance of food safety: With numerous stories of food adulteration, substandard hygiene standards in restaurants, food manufacturing units and unsafe practices in food packaging, food safety is a serious concern. FSSAI license registration will make it mandatory for the food production units, sellers and retail units to meet and maintain the required standard.

Earn trust and gain the status of a legitimate business: When food manufacturers, restaurants, cloud kitchens and even vendors get their food license registration, they maintain the quality, and the license makes it a legal and legitimate entity, which wins consumer trust and confidence.

Build up transparency and accountability: The process of licensing requires sample testing, periodical audits and regular surveillance. Entities that have an FSSAI license in India go through these processes and thus maintain complete transparency. This, in turn, draws in accountability.

Accelerates business growth and expansion: When rules are followed and standards met, it gets easier to regulate and maintain the market’s required standard. In fact, and improve the standards to meet international markets creating scope for international growth and expansion.

Can you risk your business prospects by not having an FSSAI license in India?

Who Needs FSSAI?

Everyone who is in the business involving food and raw materials must have FSSAI registration. A food manufacturer, processor, restaurant, vendor, cloud-kitchen, online food seller or even someone who runs a home-bakery, imports or exports food, must have FSSAI registration. If you are any of the entities mentioned here, you must apply for FSSAI registration, online or offline.      

Types of FSSAI Licenses in India

Depending on the scale of business and related variables, the Government of India issues three types of FSSAI licenses for commercial entities in the food sector.   

FSSAI Basic Registration

It recognizes the smallest or smaller businesses in the food sector, such as the street food outlets, vendors, small-scale caterers, home-based food producers, and retailers. Usually, businesses with an annual turnover of 12 lakhs or less can apply for this particular type of license, and the license remains valid for up to five years. However, please note that it is issued to small-scale businesses. Startups operating on this scale can also apply for this category of FSSAI license in India, but if the concerned startup deals with a larger volume and the turnover is more than 12 lakhs every year, then it has to apply for the next category.

FSSAI State License                

Food businesses with a turnover of more than 12 lakhs and up to 20 crores are medium-scale food businesses. They are usually food manufacturers, processors, and distributors operating in any one state can apply for an FSSAI state license. Food transporters, hotels and restaurants, and food warehouses functioning in a single state are also eligible to apply for an FSSAI state license. After the application, the state government of the concerned state will verify, and its food and safety department can issue the license to deserving businesses. Such a license is valid for five years, and on completion of its due date, the business can renew the license following the directed procedure.

FSSAI Central License

Food businesses operating at a large scale and above are primarily eligible for this particular kind of FSSAI license in India. Big food manufacturers and processors, importers and exporters, operating across multiple states, e-commerce food businesses, large-scale cold storage units and distributing chains, and larger dairy or meat or oil processing units can apply for an FSSAI central license registration. Food businesses supplying food as catering services, to different government units with regular food requirement like railways, airport, parliament, regular sports events and related requirements also qualify for this kind of an FSSAI license. Like other kinds, even an FSSAI central license is valid for a specific time, which is five years, and can be renewed after following the standard procedure.

A Step-By-Step Guide to Apply for an FSSAI License in India

Before applying, assess and decide the category you want to apply for. If you have read the above section, it should not be a very deep thought to engage in. However, get clarity about your requirement before applying and then follow the steps mentioned below:

Step 1: Create your account on the FoSCoS portal, which is https://foscos.fssai.gov.in/

Step 2: Sign up using your business email address and mobile number (that you use for the business you are applying the license for)

Step 3: Log in and check your dashboard

Step 4: Apply for new registration or license, choosing the option with the same name or a similar one and select the state where your business is operating (and also registered), your business type and the kind of license you are applying for.

Step 5: Fill up the application form with the required details. Depending on the kind of your license, you need to choose between Form A or B, where Form A is for basic registration and Form B is for State and Central license applicants. To fill up this form, you will need to provide the details mentioned below:

1. Name of your business, address and category
2. The food products that your business deals with
3. Your annual business turnover
4.  Registered contact information
5.  A layout of your premises and details of your manufacturing units or equipment details (whichever is applicable).

Step 6: After filling up the form, you need to upload the supporting and required documents. However, please note that the required documents may vary from business to business and from one license type to another. Here are the documents that you would need to upload:

Photo ID and address proof

1. Passport-size photographs of the partners or proprietors
2. Registration certificate of your business
3. Layout plan of your business premise or property
4. The list of food products that you deal with or manufacture
5. Water report (applicable for manufacturers only)
6. An NOC letter from the municipality or panchayat where the business unit is located.

Step 7: You must confirm the application by paying the related fees depending on the license type you have applied for. You may pay either through UPI, debit card, credit card, or net banking.

Step 8: An assigned Food Security Officer will visit your business premises to inspect the prevailing conditions, safety and hygiene standards. An inspection is usually for State and Central licenses only. If the officer finds anything wrong or dissatisfying, then he or she will issue a notice for improvement. There might be another round of visits to check whether you have followed the instructions and made the improvement or not. The fate of your license depends on the outcome of inspection visits.

Step 9: Based on the Food and Security Officer’s satisfaction, the FSSAI will issue you the certificate you have applied for and inspected. Once you receive the notification about the certification, you need to download the FSSAI certificate and display it in your business unit.

Step 10: If you have received an FSSAI basic license, then this step isn’t for you, but if you hold any of the other two types of certificates, then please note to apply for license renewal before 30 days of its expiry.

What Lies Ahead of an FSSAI License?

 A FSSAI registration isn’t enough; getting an FSSAI license that you have applied for is just the credibility tag you have earned for your business. You need to be very cautious about your operations and related standards to ensure you always comply with the standards. 

You need to display the FSSAI logo as a mark of your approved certification by the concerned authority. Henceforth, every time you use the FSSAI logo, you must be honest and clear about labelling your products. Any kind of discrepancy will invite fresh troubles to the extent of cancellation of your license. So, label and pack your products well and remain completely honest about it.

You also need to be very cautious about the food safety standards in your manufacturing units, while handling them and at other relevant times. Once registered or an FSSAI license is issued, your business comes under the purview of the authorities. They can come for surprise visits to check your business safety standards and practices.

Besides safety and quality standards, you must equally pay attention to the set and directed hygiene standards as well. Keep a check on the portal and related spaces for any modifications on their protocols, declarations and related updates. You must also be alert or set reminders to remind you about your next license renewal date.