Every Food Business Operator in the country is required to be licensed/registered under the Food Safety &Standards Authority of India. The licensing and registration procedure and requirements are regulated by Food Safety & Standards (Licensing and Registration of food Business) Regulations, 2011. FSSAI is an authority to provide a food license to every food business in India. FSSAI makes sure that the food business runs with appropriate license and a quality check. The food businesses are required to follow the FSSAI rules and guidelines. FSSAI is in entirely responsible for setting the standard and principles and controls for the welfare of food businesses in India.

Features of FSSAI

FSSAI Registration is required for all food related businesses such as manufacturers, traders, restaurants, small eateries, grocery shop, importers, exporters, home based food businesses, dairy farms, processors, retailers, e-tailers who are involved in food business must obtain a 14-digit registration Number or a Food license number which must be printed on food packages or Displayed in Premises.

Procedure For FSSAI Registration

Annual Turnover	Registration/License
Upto ₹ 12 Lakhs	Registration FORM A
₹ 12 lakhs– ₹ 20 Crores	State License FORM B
Exceeding ₹ 20 Crores	Central License FORM B

Documents required for FSSAI registration

• Photo Identity of Promoters of the Food Business
• Evidence of possession of premises (Rental Agreement / Utility Bill)
• Partnership Deed /Memorandum of Association/ Certificate of Incorporation / Articles of Association
• A list of Manufacture food products or processed or stored
• Food safety management system plan
• Signed and Completed Form-B

The Food Safety & Standards Act was legislated by the Parliament of India in 2006. Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was created to enforce the rules and regulations of the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 (FSS Act 2006).  The registration and licensing of food business in India is performed under the rules prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. All the business activities related to food business in India such as manufacturing, storage, transportation or distribution of food products, are required to apply and secure an FSSAI registration or an FSSAI License. Sometimes people are confused about this as they do not know the difference between FSSAI Registration and FSSAI License. This is explained below.

Every individual or Food Business Operator (FBO) who is in any way related to manufacturing, transportation, storage or distribution of food products must obtain FSSAI Registration or License. In India allotting registration certificate or license to food, business is governed by the Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011. The size and nature of your business defines whether you have to obtain an FSSAI registration or FSSAI License.

How to get FSSAI Registration/License?

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FSSAI Registration

1. FSSAI registration is compulsory for all food businesses that are involved in a petty food business. The Petty food business operator can be any person or entity who fulfills below criteria.
2. Manufactures or sells any item of food himself or with the help of any other petty retailer shop;
3. Any hawker, itinerant vendor, temporary stallholder; food distributer in any religious or social gathering events except a caterer;
4. food businesses including a small scale or cottage or such other industries relating to food business or tiny food businesses having an annual turnover of not more than Rs.12 Lakhs

Manufacturers Capacity

1. The volume of production of food items (other than milk, milk products, meat and meat products) must be less than 100 kg per day.
2. Procurement, handling, and collection of milk is up to 500 Kg per day.
3. Slaughtering capacity of FBO must be less than 2 large animals or 10 small animals or 50 poultry birds per day.

FBO who is required to obtain an FSSAI Registration:

• All food processing plants including re-labelers and re-packers
  1. Turnover of FOB not exceeding 12 lakhs and whose production capacity of food do not exceed 100kg per day
• Dairy units including milk chilling house equipped to handle or process
  1. FOB capacity of Up to 500 liters per day or up- to 2.5 MT per annum
• Vegetable oil processing units and units involved in producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller unit
  1. Turnover up-to 12 lakhs annum.
• FBO involved in Slaughtering
  1. Large animals up-to 2 numbers
  2. Small animals up-to 10 numbers
  3. Poultry birds up-to 50 numbers per day
• FBO processing Meat products
  1. Turnover up-to 12 lakhs per annum.

Procedure for obtaining FSSAI Registration

It’s compulsory for all Petty food business operators to obtain FSSAI registration/basic license

1. FBO can obtain registration by submitting an application to the food and Safety Department of India.
2. The application shall be submitted in Form A.
3. The application for registration can be accepted or it may be rejected by the Food and Safety Department.
4. In both, cases of acceptance and rejection, the Food and Safety Department will inform FOB within 7 days from the date of submission of the application.
5. The decision of the Food Department about accepting or rejecting the application of the FBO should be intimated in writing.
6. The registration certificate issued by the Food Department after accepting the application shall contain the registration number and the photo of the applicant.
7. At the time of carrying on the food business, the Food Business Operator must prominently display the certificate of registration at the place of business.

FSSAI License

FSSAI License is of two types as given below

1. State FSSAI License.
2. Central FSSAI License.

This license is to be obtained by any person or entity that does not fall under the criteria of petty food business operators. A person/Business unit or entity has to obtain State FSSAI License or Central FSSAI License depends on the size and nature of the business and the licensing authority may change accordingly.

1. Any large food manufacturer unit, processors unit, transporters and importers of food products require Central FSSAI License.
2. Any medium sized manufacturer unit, processors unit or transporters require State FSSAI License.
3. The procedure to obtain the FSSAI License is more complicated and cumbersome as and when compared to FSSAI registration.

Eligible individuals/entity to obtain FSSAI License

State License:

• All food processing plants including re-labelers and re-packers

1. More than100kg per day to 2 MT per day

• Dairy units including milk chilling house equipped to handle or process

1. 501 liters per day to 50,000 liters per day milk or more than 2.5 MT of milk solids per annum

• Vegetable oil processing units and units involved in producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller unit

1. Up-to 2 MT and Turnover between 12 lakhs to 20 Crores per annum

• FBO involved in Slaughtering

1. Large animals more than 2 and up to 50 Max
2. Small animals more than 10 and up to 50 Max
3. Poultry birds more than 50 and up-to 1000 per day Max

• FBO processing Meat products

1. 500 kg meat per day or 150 MT per annum Max

• FBO involved in Wholesaling food products

1. Turnover up-to 30 Crore Max

• FBO involved in Retailing

1. Turnover up-to 20 Crore Max

• FBO involve in Distributer

1. Turnover up-to 20 Crore Max

• FBO as a Supplier

1. Turnover up-to 20 Crore Max

Central License:

• All food processing plants including re-labelers and re-packers

1. More than 2 MT per day Up-to any limit

• Dairy units including milk chilling house equipped to handle or process

1. More than 50,000 liters per day milk or more than 2500 MT of milk solids per annum Up-to any limit

• Vegetable oil processing units and units involved in producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller unit

1. More than 2 MT per day Up-to any limit

• FBO involved in Slaughtering

1. Large animals more than 50 per day Up-to any limit
2. Small animals more than 150 per day Up-to any limit
3. Poultry birds more than 1000 per day Up-to any limit

• FBO processing Meat products

1. More than 500 kg meat per day or 150 MT per annum

• FBO involved in Wholesaling food products

1. Turnover more than 30 Crore Up-to any limit

• FBO involved in Retailing

1. Turnover more than 20 Crore Up-to any limit

• FBO involve in Distributer

1. Turnover more than 20 Crore Up-to any limit

• FBO as a Supplier

1. Turnover more than 20 Crore Up-to any limit

Steps to Obtain FSSAI License

1. To obtain the FSSAI Central License the Food Business Operator shall make an application to the Licensing Authority.
2. This application is made in Form B.
3. The application should be annexed with self-declaration, affidavit, and Annexure as applicable.
4. This license is granted for a period of 1 to 5 years as the time limit requested by the food business operator.
5. Higher the period for which license is obtained the higher would be the application fees.
6. The license can be renewed by making an application.
7. The application for renewal should be made not later than 30 days prior to the expiry of the FSSAI License.

FSSAI Registration

FSSAI registration is required for a category of food business which is called petty food business. Petty food business or petty food operator is defined as an FBO who is a manufacturer or sells any article of food himself as a petty retailer, hawker, itinerant vendor or temporary stallholder. If an FBO distributes foods in any religious or social gathering and the turnover does not exceed Rs 12 lakhs. FBOs in this category are required to obtain an FSSAI registration by submitting an application for registration in Form A. FSSAI registration certificate contains the registration number and a photo of the applicant. FBO has to display this certificate at the place of food business at all times while carrying on the food business.

FSSAI License

Any person or company which cannot be categorized as a petty food business operator is required to obtain an FSSAI license for operating a food business in India. An applicant can apply for an FSSAI license which is of two types, State FSSAI License and Central FSSAI License. Based on the annual turnover and presence in one or more states, FBOs need to apply for State or Central License. Any large food business which is manufacturing, processing, transporting and importing food products require central FSSAI license while medium-sized food manufacturers, processor, and transporters need a State License. The fee and process of obtaining an FSSAI license is more complex than securing an FSSAI registration. FSSAI license application is made in Form B while for FSSAI Registration, the applicant is required to fill Form A.