FSSAI

Obtaining an FSSAI registration or license is, in fact, a completely online process. No on-site visitation is mandatory for the applicant at any office.

If all the requirements outlined in the improvement notice have been fulfilled, the Food Business Operator may reapply for a license with the relevant authority three months subsequent to the date of cancellation.

To surrender the license or registration, an online application must be submitted through the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) account from which the application was initially submitted. Once the relevant authority has granted its sanction, the item will be deemed surrendered.

The FSSAI has mandated that as of October 1, 2021, all invoices and bills for food businesses bear the FSSAI registration number or license number. Food business operators have the option to renew their FSSAI license or registration beyond its expiration date, subject to the subsequent penalties: Three times the annual license or registration fee in effect from the initial expiration date until the ninetieth day thereafter. An additional two times the current annual license/registration fee (for a grand total of five times) is required between the 91st and 180th day following the initial expiration date.

The 14-digit FSSAI License number begins with the letter ‘1’, and the corresponding 14-digit FSSAI Registration number begins with the letter ‘2’.

The annual return for a food business that is not filed by May 31st, each year, will incur a penalty of Rs.100 per day until the return is filed. The annual license fees shall not be greater than five times the utmost penalty imposed.

A Central License is mandatory for a food business operator that conducts business in more than two states. Additionally, distinct licenses and registrations are required for each unit, which are contingent upon the capacity and turnover of the unit.

Manufacturing, processing, storing, distributing, or selling food requires an FSSAI Registration or License from any individual or organization. The non-obtention of an FSSAI license may result in incarceration and fines.

1. Home-based food manufacturing or business operations of individual members of a government-registered society such as a cooperative society, Mahila Udyog, self-help group, or Gruh Udyog
2. The Direct Selling entity demonstrates a willingness to assume liability for its Direct Sellers and has provided written authorization for them to do so.
3. A milkman or vendor who registers with a Cooperative Society and proceeds to sell their entire milk production to said society.
4. An individual who operates food vending machines, water vending machines, food ATMs, food carts, or is a direct selling agent.

Businesses that sell the following products are required to possess an FSSAI license or registration:

1. Fats, oils, and fat emulsions
2. Dairy products and their analogues
3. Edible ice, sorbet and sherbet included
4. Mushrooms, fungi, roots, tubers, fresh pulses and legumes, aloe vera, seaweed almonds, and seeds are all considered fruits and vegetables.
5. Sweeteners and bakery products, including honey
6. Fish and fish products, including crustaceans, mollusks, and echinoderms
7. Cereals and cereal products obtained from cereal grain, legumes, roots, tubers, pith, or soft interior of palm tree; bakery wares are not included in this category.
8. Eggs and egg products, as well as flesh and meat products
9. Soups, sauces, salts, seasonings, protein products, and salads
10. Beverages, excluding dairy products (non-alcoholic drinks);
11. Food Additives—Fortified foods intended for specific nutritional purposes, including infant formulae, follow-up formulae, and formulae designed for certain medical purposes for infants;
12. Food Additives, including all those authorized and standardized in accordance with the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 and FSS Nutraceutical Regulations, 2016, along with their preparations;
13. Nutrients and their preparations
14. Micronutrients and their preparations/premixes of nutrients, Fortified Rice Kernel
15. Preparations of functional ingredients and microorganisms and microbes
16. Standardized food products, with the exception of those that fall within categories 1-14
17. Indian confections and snacks and savory foods
18. Seed Products and Hemp Seeds

The FSSAI issued a notice on July 27, 2022, stating that all services it provides, including the issuance of central licenses, food safety mitra fees, product approval fees, import clearance fees, and more, would be subject to GST at the prescribed rate. These services would be subject to an 18% service tax.

In India, registration with the FSSAI is required for anyone who operates a private kitchen or bakery.

All food enterprises are required to include their FSSAI registration or license number on invoices and bills as of October 1, 2021.

Petty Food Business Operators (FBOs) are individuals or entities engaged in the manufacturing or sale of food products, function as petty retailers, hawkers, itinerant vendors, temporary stall holders, small-scale food businesses, cottage industries, or other food-related industries with an annual turnover not exceeding Rs. 12 Lakhs, and possess the following:

1. A daily production capacity of no more than 100 kg or liters of food products;
2. A procurement, handling, or collection of no more than 500 liters of milk;

In order to acquire an FSSAI Registration Certificate, these FBOs must submit an application for the Food Safety Compliance System or the Food Safety Connect app. The FBO is depicted on this QR-encoded Registration Certificate, which also contains a fourteen-digit Registration number that commences with the digit two (2xxxxxxxxxxx).

No, tangible documentation is not required to obtain Central/State FSSAI licenses at regional/state offices.

In the event that the license holder passes away, the FSSAI License may be transferred through the submission of an online transfer application. A Certificate of Death and Proof of Legal Heirship are required for license transfers.

The documents are categorized according to the type of culinary agency. The ‘Documents required’ section on the homepage of FSSAI’s Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) contains the inventory of required documents.

Importing FBOs and manufacturing FBOs (including those that outsource the production of their food products, reprocessing, and relabeling) are required to submit Annual Returns in Form D1 via the FoSCoS Portal by May 31 of each fiscal year prior.

Licenses and registrations for FBOs are bestowed upon them in accordance with the FSS (Licensing & Registration) Regulations of 2011. This three-tier system consists of the following levels: Registration, State license, and Central license. Licensing and registration with the FSSAI is contingent upon the nature of the enterprise, its annual revenue, and its manufacturing capabilities.

Through Kanoons, FBO can obtain an FSSAI license in India. Kanoons assists food business operators in monitoring their registrations and applying for FSSAI licenses on the FoSCoS.

Online FSSAI registration through Kanoons can be completed in less than five days.