fssai

FSSAI(FOOD LICENSE) LICENSE IN INDIA 2022

DEFINITION

Any person who wants to get into a business in the food industry in india, whether it is food manufacturing, processing or distribution has to register their company with the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI). FSSAI monitors all these business and companies under the regulations and guidelines as stated in the FSSAI Act.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR FSSAI REGISTRATION IN INDIA 2022

The documents that have to be submitted with the FSSAI online application for FSSAI registration are listed below:

1) A copy of the applicants’ identity proof which carries a photograph of the applicant.

2) A passport sized photo of the applicant.

3)The State & Central FSSAI license. 

4) The import export code.

5) Proof of business address.

6) A list of all the directors or partners in the business.

7) The certificate of incorporation of the said business.

8) The MOA and AOA of the business/organization.

9) A No Objection Certificate which is acquired from the local municipality.

FOR MANUFACTURING UNITS that are applying for the FSSAI registration apart from the above mentioned documents, the following documents are needed:

a) The blueprint of the warehouse/plant/ factory etc.

b) A comprehensive list of all the machinery.

c) A report of a water test.

d) The comprehensive list of all the food categories.

ENTITIES WHO REQUIRE A FSSAI LICENSE

The FSSAI Registration is mandatory for any food business that has a turnover less than 12 lakhs a year. The typical categories that would fall under this are food hawkers, small time food retailers etc. Any food business whose yearly turnover is more that 12 lakhs a year has to apply and get a FSSAI license. This means that basis the size and scale of the food business one has to get a FSSAI state license or FSSAI central license. Usually the FSSAI central licenses is taken by large food manufactures, food importers/exporters etc. Medium and small size food entities such as food transporters food traders, etc apply and get a FSSAI State License. The list of business categories that require a food license is stated below:

  1. Food companies involved in Procurement
  2. Food manufacturers
  3. Food distributors
  4. Food processing units
  5. Food packaging units
  6. Food storage companies
  7. Hotels
  8. Food wholesalers
  9. Restaurants
  10. Food chains
  11. Food sellers/food resellers
  12. Companies that are in the dairy and dairy processing business
  13. Food importers and exporters
  14. Food processing companies in businesses like pickles/dry fruits etc
  15. Raw material suppliers to food companies
  16. Retailers & establishments who run a retail outlet
  17. Transport companies who transfer items from one location to another
  18. Food canteens in corporations/schools/colleges/hospitals/government institutions etc
  19. Food packaging companies that manufacture food products like biscuits/ready to eat products etc

DIFFERENT TYPES OF FSSAI LICENSES IN INDIA

As per the guidelines stated in the  FSSAI Act, 2006 all food companies that are required to be registered and licensed under FSSAI are as follows:

1) FSSAI registration
a)This is the primary kind of food license and it is issued for Businesses that are small in turnover – 12 Lakh INR approximately.

b)  A FBO that is at the initial stage like a milk dairy which has a capacity of less than 500 liters a day.

c) Businesses such as tea shops/ food canteens/ food processing units/small warehouses require this license. This licenses should be upgraded when the business grows and expands in terms of capacity and profit.

2) THE STATE LICENSE:

Any company/organization that has a profit more than 12 lakhs a year and less than 20 Crores rupees a year is required to obtain the state license. Some examples of such businesses are stated below:

a) Milk dairies which have a per day capacity of over 50,000 liters.

b) Hotels which have a 3-star rating and above.

An exception to this is any company that is involved in the food catering business. Irrespective of the turnover, a food catering company has to apply for a state license and not a basic FSSAI license.

3) THE CENTRAL LICENSE:

 The FSSAI central registration license is usually for bigger businesses/entities. It is issued to:

a) Food companies that that involved in the supply of food to government offices/departments.

b) Food trading companies that have a turnover in the excess of Rs.20 Crores.

c) Food importers and exporters.

APPLYING FOR A FSSAI LICENSE ONLINE

The 3 kinds of FSSAI Licenses are as follows Basic/State/ Central. As mentioned in the article above every company that is involved in the food business has to register for a FSSAI License under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Our team of experts at ACE ALLIANCE can help and assist you to register for a FSSAI registration and license by  first consulting with you to figure out what type of licenses is required for your business. Then our team will help you fill in the online application. All the documents required for this application will be collected by our team through email. We will then help generate Form A & Form B which is required for the actual license process. These forms will be filed by our team on your behalf with the relevant authorities. After the application has been filed we will reply to any questions the authorities may raise in regards to your application. There is usually a three week period before the government considers your FSSAI application. Once your application is approved a digital/physical paper copy will be sent/emailed to your on your registered address/registered email id. Please note the waiting period mentioned above is for a basic FSSAI license. For a state or central license the government approval and waiting period can take up to a maximum of 50 days.

AN EXAMPLE OF A FSSAI LICENSE

A 14-digit food license contains a State Code and registration. Please check out the example below of what a FSSAI license looks like.

fssai licence number

Every food package must carry this FSSAI label. This label must always mandatorily contain the logo of FSSAI and the license number of the food company

NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FSSAI RULES

Non-compliance with the FSSAI rules and regulations can prove to detrimental to a food company/organization. Any company that produces and distributes food products without a valid FSSAI registration or license  will incur and be liable to a severe penally which will cause risk and bring disrepute to the said food brand. Food inspections are conducted on a spot and regular basis by Food Safety Officers. They grade the food companies/entities on different compliance levels such as

  • Compliance©
  • Non-compliance(NC)
  • Partial Compliance
  • Not Applicable/ Not Observed (NA)

In accordance with the above mentioned markings, a Food Safety Officer will/may issue an improvement notice to the organization. The officer may also cancel the FSSAI license if the standards are not maintained in-spite of previous warnings that were givenI. In addition to this, if a FBO is not satisfied with the improvement notice that has been issued by a Food Safety Officer improvement notice, the FBO can appeal to the State Commissioner of Food Safety. Their decision can also be challenged via an appeal towards Food Safety Appellate Tribunal / High Court.

THE BENEFITS OF GETTING A FSSAI LICENSE:

Getting a FSSAI license/registration help a food business in lots of ways as stated below:

  • A valid FSSAI license and FSSAI logo allows businesses to improve and enhance their credibility amongst their customers.
  • A FSSAI registration/license helps to smoothen and streamline all the processes involved from manufacturing to distribution to the sale of the food products.
  • A FSSAI license/registration makes the business of food manufacturing more scientific in approach and execution.
  • With a FSSAI license/registration, the important aspects of hygiene and cleanliness are regulated and followed diligently by all the entities involved in the food business.
  • A FSSAI license/registration provides a platform to Indian food manufacturers to manufacture quality food products that are on par with international food standards.
  • A FSSAI license is extremely important if a food manufacturer/exporter wants to export food products to other countries.
  • FSSAI is responsible for setting guidelines/procedures for quality assurance of the accredited labs as per ISO17025.
  •  

THE VALIDITY PERIOD OF FSSAI LICENSES
FSSAI licenses that are issued to food businesses are valid for a period of anywhere between  1 to 5 years. It is mandatory for a food business to apply for renewal of their FSSAI license 30 days before the expiry of the existing license. If the license is not renewed before the due date and it expires then the food business is fined Rs 100 a day till the time they renew their license. Also any lapse in renewing the license within the due date could result in the old license becoming defunct and a business will have to apply for a fresh license.

GUIDELINES TO BE FOLLOWED FOR FSSAI LICENSE NUMBER:

  1. The FSSAI logo and license number must always be displayed clearly on the label of the food package in a colour that is in contrast to the background.
  2. If multiple food units are involved in the production process, the brand owner’s FSSAI logo and license should be printed on the package along with the address of the other units displayed on the label with FSSAI license number.
  3. Imported food products are not exempted from following the FSSAI guidelines. It is compulsory for the importer’s FSSAI license number/name/ address/FSSAI logo to be printed on a label or sticker and attached to the imported food product before it is given customs clearance.
  4. It is mandatory and compulsory that the guidelines given for the height of the letters and numerals of the license number shall remain as prescribed in 2.3.3 of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulation,2011. (Labelling), , must be applicable to display FSSAI license number and logo.
  5. The FSSAI logo cannot be taken as a certification of any kind. It just denotes that the FBOs’ license is valid under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006.

FSSAI RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY AND FOOD BUSINESSES:

  1. The FSSAI registration and license must be on displayed in a prominent manner on the registered business premises. It should be attached with a passport size photo of the person under whose name the FSSAI license has been obtained.
  2. It is the responsibility of the food business owner to inform the FSSAI authorities of any changes/modification he/she plans to make in their food business.
  3. It is mandatory that at least one individual who possesses technical skills is employed by the FBO to supervise the food production.
  4. The annual returns for a period from 1st April to 31st March of the consecutive year must be filed before 31st of May of that year.
  5. FSSAI licensees must strictly follow and adhere to the conditions given for food preparation/processing/storage.
  6.  

POINTERS TO MODIFY FSSAI LICENSE AND FSSAI REGISTRATION:

  1. All the necessary documents must be submitted when applying for a FSSAI modification approval.
  2. Form C is a very important document that has to be filled with the necessary criteria to seek approval for modifications in the business. Form C can be used to add a new business to the already existing one, change information like address details/ update or change the contact numbers, product names, etc.
  3. Designated officers in the FSSAI department can help you with the filing process along with support from professional tax and legal e-commerce companies like ACE ALLIANCE.
  4. The non-form C MODIFICATION is there to support all other information and documents.
  5. The FBO must submit all the necessary evidence/proof of change along with all the applications. All submitted documents and forms are subject to scrutiny by the Designated Officers or DO. Any query or objection raised by the DO , must be answered by the FBO within 30 days along with any additional information and documents if required by the designated officer(DO).