Food License Registration

Food is the basic necessity for everyone, it of utmost importance for anyone to lead a healthy life, but do you know that our go-to places that serve our favorite food cannot function without getting the quality and safety of the food checked first. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is responsible for carrying out such tests, after which they issue a Food License to all Food Business Operators (FBO). Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is an organization that governs the food business in India and ensures the food products sold in India undergo relevant quality checks, which in turn reduces the problem of food adulteration and sale of sub-standard products.

It is mandatory for every FBO that is involved in the manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and sale of food products to get a Food License i.e. FSSAI Registration or License. FSSAI Registration is different from a FSSAI License depending upon the size and nature of the business. The FSSAI Registration or License is a 14-digit number that is printed on all food packages.

A Food Business Operator is eligible to get a Central License, State License, FSSAI Registration or Railway FSSAI License on the basis of the capacity of the machinery installed, annual turnover of the business or the location of the business.

The most basic kind of Food License issued, is the FSSAI Registration that is majorly issued to small-scale food businesses.

The FSSAI Registration is initiated by filing Form A and Form B with the Food and Safety Department. This application is either accepted or an objection is raised regarding defects in the application by the department, within 7 days from the date of application. In case the application is accepted, a Registration Certificate is sent by the Food and Safety Department, stating the registration number. This Registration Certificate is supposed to be displayed at the place of business during the working hours at all times. Our team at All India ITR will take care of the tedious process of filing the said Forms and getting the required approvals from the Food and Safety Department. You just need to provide us with the following documents –

  • Photo Identity proof of the Applicant
  • Name of business
  • Email id & Phone number of the applicant
  • List of directors/ Members/ Partners
  • Proof of Possession of the Premises (Rent Agreement or Property Tax Receipts or copy of Purchase Papers)
  • Electricity bill (not older than 2 months)
  • Applicant Signature
  • Copy of any other registration (if available)
  • Partnership Deed or Certificate of Incorporation
  • MOA & AOA (In case of company)
  • List of food products that the business will deal in.
  • The management plan for Food Safety.

Now you know about the registration process and the documents that are required to apply for FSSAI Registration. Let’s take a look at the eligibility criteria on the basis of which the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India issues a registration.

Let’s begin with the Basic FSSAI Registration for Manufacturers –
Manufacturer Capacity/ Turnover
Dairy units including milk chilling units equipped to handle or process milk Up to 500 litres per day of milk
OR
Up to 2.5 MT of milk solids per annum
Vegetable oil processing units, manufacturing units producing vegetable oil by solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller units Turnover up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Slaughtering units/td> Large Animals up to 2 per day
Small Animals up to 10 per day
Poultry Birds up to 50 per day
Meat Processing units Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
All food processing units including re-labelers and re-packers Turnover up to Rs. 12 lakhs and production capacity of food not exceeding 100 kgs/ litres per day

Other businesses can also apply for a FSSAI Registration if they fall under the following eligibility criteria:

Business Turnover
Dairy units including milk chilling units equipped to handle or process milk Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Storage (Controlled Atmosphere and Cold Storage Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Wholesaler Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Retailer Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Distributor Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Dhaba, Boarding House serving food, Banquet halls with food catering arrangements, Home-based canteens/ Dabba wallas, religious gathering/fairs, etc. Fish/poultry shop/meat sellers or any other food vending establishments Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Club/Canteen Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Hotelr Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Restaurant Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Transporter Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
DMarketer Up to Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Hawker (mobile food vendor) All
Small Retailer of snacks/tea shops All

Now, let’s talk about the documents required to apply for a State License that is required by all the medium-scale FBOs: –

  • Completed and duly signed Form B.
  • Blueprints of the processing unit stating the dimensions and area allocation according to operations. (required for manufacturing & processing unit
  • List of Directors/ Partners/ Proprietor with their address, contact details and photo ID
  • List of equipment and machinery along with the installed capacity (required for manufacturing & processing unit)
  • Photo Identity & address proof of the partner/ director/ proprietor.
  • Categories of food to be manufactured (In case of manufacturing unit)
  • Letter of Authority from manufacturer (required for manufacturing & processing unit)/li>
  • Water testing Report (required for manufacturing & processing unit)
  • NOC & Copy of license (required for re-packer& re-labeler)
  • Proof of possession for the property (Rent Agreement or copy of Property papers)
  • Partnership Deed or Affidavit of Proprietorship.
  • No Objection Certificate and copy of license from the manufacturer.
  • Declaration under Food Safety & Management system plan.
  • Form ix: Nomination form
  • Production unit photograph
  • Certificate from HRACC (applicable for hotels)

A State License is issued to medium-scale FBOs who qualify the following eligibility criteria: –

Manufacturer Capacity/ Turnover
Dairy units including milk chilling units that are equipped to handle or process milk 501 to 50,000 Litres per day of milk
OR
2.5 MT to 2500 MT of milk solids p.a.
Vegetable oil processing units, manufacturing units producing vegetable oil by solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller units Up to 2 MT per day and turnover more than Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Slaughtering units Large Animals – More than 2 and up to 50/day
Small Animals – More than 10 and up to 150/day
Poultry Birds – More than 50 and up to 1000/day
Meat Processing units Up to 500 kg meat per day
OR
150 MT p.a.
All food processing units including re-labelers and re-packers More than 100 kgs/litres to 2 MT per day.
All grains, cereals and pulses milling units.

The eligibility criteria for other kinds of businesses is as follows: –

Business Turnover
Storage (except controlled atmosphere and cold storage) Up to 50,000 MT
Storage (Cold/Refrigerated) Up to 10,000 MT.
Storage (Controlled Atmosphere and Cold Storage) Up to 1,000 MT
Wholesaler Up to Rs. 30 crores
Retailer Up to Rs. 20 crores
Distributor Up to Rs. 20 crores.
Supplier Up to Rs. 20 crores
Hotel Up to Rs. 20 crores
Dhaba, Boarding House serving food, Banquet halls with food catering arrangements, Home-based canteens/dabba wallas, religious gathering/fairs, etc. Fish/poultry shop/meat sellers or any other food vending establishments More than Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Club/Canteen More than Rs. 12 lakhs p.a
Hotel 3-star or above and below 5-star
OR
Up to 3-star and turnover more than Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Restaurant Up to Rs. 20 crores
Transporter Up to 100 vehicles/wagons ,
OR
Up to Rs. 30 crores

The businesses under Central Government also have to apply for a State License or Central License depending upon the size of the business. In order to apply for State License, they need to fulfil the following criteria: –

Food catering services in establishments and units under Central Govt. Agencies like Railways, Air and Airport, Seaport, Defense, etc. Food catering services in Seaport/ Airport excluding Seaports located at Kandla, Tuticorin, Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata, Marmagoa, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai and JNPT
OR
Excluding Airports located at Kolkata, Tiruchy, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Amritsar, Cochin, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Trivandrum and Ahmedabad

A Central License is acquired by FBOs that operate in more than 1 state. Here are documents that are required to apply for a Central License

  • Completed and duly signed Form B.
  • Blueprints of the processing unit stating the dimensions and area allocation according to operations. (required for manufacturing & processing unit
  • List of Directors/ Partners/ Proprietor with their address, contact details and photo ID
  • List of equipment and machinery along with the installed capacity (required for manufacturing & processing unit)
  • Photo Identity & address proof of the partner/ director/ proprietor.
  • Categories of food to be manufactured (In case of manufacturing unit)
  • Letter of Authority from manufacturer (required for manufacturing & processing unit)/li>
  • Water testing Report (required for manufacturing & processing unit)
  • NOC & Copy of license (required for re-packer& re-labeler)
  • Proof of possession for the property (Rent Agreement or copy of Property papers)
  • Partnership Deed or Affidavit of Proprietorship.
  • No Objection Certificate and copy of license from the manufacturer.
  • Declaration under Food Safety & Management system plan.
  • Form ix: Nomination form
  • Production unit photograph
  • Certificate from HRACC (applicable for hotels)
  • Source of raw materials like milk, meat, etc.
  • Recall plan wherever required.
  • Certificate from the Ministry of Commerce in case of 100% Export Oriented Units (EOU).
  • Import Export Code issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
  • NOC from municipality or local governing body if the business premises are in a municipality.
  • Document supporting proof of annual turnover and transportation.

The eligibility criteria are necessary to be kept in mind while applying for a Central License which is mainly given to large-scale FBOs.

Manufacturer Capacity/ Turnover
Dairy units including milk chilling units that are equipped to handle or process milk 501 to 50,000 Litres per day of milk
OR
2.5 MT to 2500 MT of milk solids p.a.
Vegetable oil processing units, manufacturing units producing vegetable oil by solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller units Up to 2 MT per day and turnover more than Rs. 12 lakhs p.a.
Slaughtering units Large Animals – More than 2 and up to 50/day
Small Animals – More than 10 and up to 150/day
Poultry Birds – More than 50 and up to 1000/day
Meat Processing units Up to 500 kg meat per day
OR
150 MT p.a.
All food processing units including re-labelers and re-packers More than 100 kgs/litres to 2 MT per day.
All grains, cereals and pulses milling units.
100% Export Oriented Units All
Proprietary Foods All

The eligibility criteria for other kinds of businesses is as follows: –

Business Turnover
Storage (except controlled atmosphere and cold storage) More than 50,000 MTT
Storage (Cold/Refrigerated) More than 10,000 MT.
Storage (Controlled Atmosphere and Cold Storage) More than 1,000 MT
Wholesaler More than Rs. 30 crores
Retailer More than Rs. 20 crores
Distributor More than Rs. 20 crores
Supplier More than Rs. 20 crores
Caterer More than Rs. 20 crores
Hotele 5-star and above
Restaurant More than Rs. 20 crores
Transporter More than 100 vehicles/wagons
OR
More than Rs. 30 crores
Marketer More than Rs. 20 crores

Like in the case of State License, Premises in Central Govt. Agencies, Seaports and Airports can also apply for a Central License. The eligibility criteria for the such premises is as follows –

Food catering services in establishments and units under Central Govt. Agencies like Defense, etc. Food catering service in Defense locations
Storage, Wholesaler, Retailer, Distributor Premises in Central Govt. Agencies
Food catering services at Seaport located at Kandla, Tuticorin, Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata, Marmagoa, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai, JNPT
OR
Food catering services in establishments and units under Central Govt. Agencies like Air & Airport, Seaport, etc. Airport located at Kolkata, Tiruchy, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Amritsar, Cochin, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Ahmedabad.
Storage, Wholesaler, Retailer, Distributor Premises at Seaport located at Kandla, Tuticorin, Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata, Marmagoa, Cochin, Mumbai, Chennai, JNPT
OR
Airport located at Kolkata, Tiruchy, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Amritsar, Cochin, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Ahmedabad.

The FSSAI License number provides the details related to the manufacturer’s license or registration and the state of manufacturing. This number is also known as the FSSAI Number. The owner of the brand needs to display the FSSAI logo and the license number issued on all the labels of food that is packaged. Similarly, in case of imported food products, importers also need to put the FSSAI logo and license number. Moreover, importers need to put a sticker with the name and address on the food products before customs clearance.

Under the FSS Act, 2006, all the registered or licensed individuals or FBOs need to adhere to certain rules and regulations. A food officer conducts an inspection of the FBO’s facility and marks according to the level of compliance adhered to using a check list. On the basis of the compliance level, the FBO is then marked under one of the following –

  • Compliance (C)
  • Non-Compliance (NC)
  • Partial Compliance (PC)
  • Not Applicable/ Not Observed (NA)

Based on the above-mentioned markings, the food safety officer may issue a notice of improvement if need be, as per Section 32 of the FSS Act, 2006. If any FBO fails to comply with the improvement notice, despite already having FSSAI License, the food safety officer can cancel the license. Any FBO who has an issue with the notice of improvement can approach the State Commissioner of Food Safety. If the FBO is still not satisfied with the decision taken, the aggrievance can then be taken to the Food Safety appellate tribunal or the High Court.

A penalty may also be levied in case the food safety officer finds that the compliances have not been adhered to.

S. No. Particulars Fine
1 Food Quality not in compliance with act Rs. 2 lakhs
Small Manufacturer – Rs. 25,000
2 Sub-standard Food Rs. 5 lakhs
3 Misbranded Food Rs. 3 lakhs
4 Penalty for Selling Food, not of the demanded Nature or Substance or Quality Rs. 5 lakhs
5 Extraneous Matter in Food Rs. 1 lakhs
6 Failure to comply with the directions given by the Food Safety Officer Rs. 2 lakhs
7 Unhygienic processing or manufacturing Rs. 1 lakhs
8 Misleading Advertisement Rs. 10 lakhs
9 Penalty for Running the Business without a License Rs. 5 lakhs

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is FSSAI?
FSSAI stands for Food Safety and Standard Authority of India. Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, this authority sets and regulates scientific standards for all food products that includes the manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale, import and export of the product. It also ensures that the food products available in India for human consumption are safe and wholesome.
Q. How can a FSSAI Registration be renewed?
FSSAI Registration needs to be renewed 30 days before its expiry date. Our experts at All India ITR will re-file Form A and Form B once you provide us with the FSSAI Registration Number. The renewal process usually takes 30-40 days to be completed wherein the fee remains the same as in the case of issue of new FSSAI Registration.
Q. Is a different FSSAI License required for the FBO and the manufacturing units that are a part of the company?
A Central License will be issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for the registered office of the company. However, a State License will need to be acquired for each manufacturing unit in a particular state.
Q. Is a FSSAI Registration or License required to import food products in India?
A Central License issued by the FSSAI is required to import food products in India. Once the License is issued, the brand owner will need to display this number on the food products that are imported along with the FSSAI logo.
Q. Do 100% Export Oriented Units (EOU) require a FSSAI License?
It is mandatory to get a FSSAI License, if any import and/ or export of food products takes place in India. This applies to 100% Export Oriented Units (EOU) as well. EOU will need a Central License issued by the FSSAI.
Q. Is it mandatory for the FBO that manufactures food additives to register with the FSSAI?
All FBOs and company dealing in any food products including manufacturing, trading, distribution and transportation need to get a State License or Central License depending upon the size of the company from the FSSAI.
Q. Is FSSAI License required for a catering service in Central Govt. Agencies?
Yes, all catering establishments, irrespective of where they operate are required to get a FSSAI License or Registration from the FSSAI. In most cases, a Central License is issued to such establishments, that are located at Central Govt. Agencies, Railways, Seaports, Airports and Defense locations.
Q.If a company has multiple warehouses in the same city, located in different places in the same city, which License or Registration is supposed to be acquired from the FSSAI?
Each warehouse, regardless of being in the same city, will need a separate State License. However, if all the warehouses are in the same campus, only a single License will be issued on the campus address.
Q. What is the procedure to get a FSSAI License for a Restaurant?
Getting a FSSAI License for a restaurant or catering service works the same way as applying for any other FBO. Our team of experts will get the License for you. You just need to provide us with the relevant documents and fill Form A and Form B. We will get your FSSAI License sent to you within 20-40 days and keep you posted regularly on the status of your application.
Q. How is FSSAI Registration different from FSSAI License?
A Food Business Operator (FBO) can apply for FSSAI Registration or FSSAI License depending on the size, nature, annual turnover and area of operation of the business. A registration is issued to small-scale FBOs like dairy units, slaughtering units, small restaurants, catering services, canteens, mobile vendors, hawkers, etc. Whereas, a FSSAI License is issued to medium and large scale FBOs like higher capacity dairy units, slaughtering units, wholesalers, distributors, medium or large restaurants, catering services, hotels, importers, etc.

The FSSAI License is classified under 2 categories: –

  • State License is issued to medium-scale FBOs.
  • Central License is issued to large-scale FBOs.

Importers, however, only get a Central License that is issued at their Import Export Code Address.

Q. How long does it take to get a FSSAI Registration or License?
It usually takes 30-60 days from the date of application, to get a FSSAI License or Registration.
Q. What is the validity of a FSSAI License?
Every FBO is issued a registration or license for a different period of validity depending upon the nature and size of the business. An application for renewal needs to be made 30 days prior to the date of expiry. However, a FSSAI License is issued for minimum 1 year & maximum 5 years.
Q. Is there a fee that is charged to get a FSSAI Registration or FSSAI License?
A License fee is charged annually for all licenses, that are issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The fee for a State License is Rs.2,000 per annum whereas for a Central License, the fee is Rs.7,500 per annum.
Q. Is it possible for a Food Business Operator to carry out different food activities under one license at a particular location?
The license issued by the FSSAI, whether it is a State or Central License, is location specific. Therefore, an FBO that is running multiple inter-related business at a single location can be carried out under one license/ registration. For instance, if an FBO is processing meat, milk, fruits and vegetables at a single location, a separate license or registration will be required since the processing of all these food products are not inter-related. However, in case there is a fruit and vegetable processing unit along with a store in the same premises, one license can be used to carry out these activities.
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