FSSAI REGISTRATION AND LICENSE ONLINE
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a legal authority that offers a food license to all food business operators (FBO) in India. All the FBOs must follow all the rules and regulations of FSSAI for food quality control.
An FBO requires a FSSAI License or Registration and it all depends upon certain factors like the size of production, managing nature of food business activities, and range of operations. In the FSSAI Registration process, the FBO will get a 14 digit number that needs to be printed on food packages.
FSSAI Registration ensures the security of food products and it is essentially a food safety certificate circulated by the food authority in India. All the manufacturers, traders, restaurants, grocery shops, importers and exporters, etc. are eligible for issuing a FSSAI Licence. FSSAI Licensing assures that food products undergo specific quality checks, thereby decreasing the cases of adulteration, substandard products.
CATEGORIES OF FSSAI REGISTRATION
FSSAI registration encompasses different categories tailored to various scales and types of food businesses, ensuring a streamlined regulatory framework. The categories primarily include Basic FSSAI Registration, State FSSAI License, and Central FSSAI License.
1. Basic FSSAI Registration: This is suitable for small-scale food businesses, including petty food manufacturers, small eateries, and individual food processors. Basic registration is applicable to businesses with an annual turnover below a specified limit, providing a simplified registration process while still ensuring adherence to basic food safety regulations.
2. State FSSAI License: This category is meant for medium-sized food businesses operating within a specific state. It is applicable to businesses with a moderate turnover and covers entities such as distributors, manufacturers, and suppliers. The State FSSAI License is obtained from the respective State Government's FSSAI department.
3. Central FSSAI License: Larger enterprises engaged in food manufacturing and distribution on a national scale are required to obtain the Central FSSAI License. This category is suitable for businesses with a substantial annual turnover. Central FSSAI License is granted by the Central Government's FSSAI department and is essential for ensuring compliance with national-level food safety standards.
ELIGIBILITY FOR APPLYING FOR FSSAI REGISTRATION
Petty food business operators (FBOs) are eligible to apply for FSSAI registration and these include-
Those who manufacture or sell food items either themselves or via a retailer, hawker, itinerant vendor or a temporary stall owner.
Those who distribute food, which also includes, in any religious or social gathering except a caterer.
Other food businesses including small scale or cottage industry or such other industries relating to food business or tiny food businesses with an annual turnover not exceeding Rs 12 lakhs and those whose:
Production capacity of food, other than milk and milk products and meat and meat products, does not exceed 100 kg/ltr per day.
Procurement or handling and collection of milk is up to 500 litres of milk per day or up to 2.5 metric ton (MT) of milk solids per annum.
Vegetable oil processing units, including units that are producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller unit with a turnover of up to 100 kg or ltr per day.
Meat processing units with a production of more than 100 kgs per day or 30 MT per day.
Slaughtering capacity is 2 large animals or 10 small animals or 50 poultry birds per day or less.
All food processing units other than mentioned above including repackers with a capacity of up to 100 Ltr /Kg per day.
Cold storage including the Storage Excluding Controlled Atmosphere+ Cold as well as cold and refrigerated storage and cold storage which is temperature controlled, each having a turnover of up to Rs 12 lakhs per annum.
Wholesalers, retailers, distributors, and suppliers having an annual turnover of up to Rs 12 lakhs.
Dhaba owners and other food vending establishments along with clubs and canteens having up to Rs 12 lakhs turnover per annum.
Hotels and Restaurants with a turnover of up to Rs 12 lakhs per annum.
Transporters with an annual turnover of up to Rs 12 lakhs.
Corporate Mitra provides support to get FSSAI registration and licenses all over India.
WHO NEEDS FSSAI REGISTRATION
FBOs like wholesalers, distributors, suppliers, retailers, food vending establishments, hawkers, clubs, canteens, Dhabas, hotels, restaurants, and storage facilities with an annual turnover of less than Rs.12 lakh, between Rs.12 Lakh- Rs.20 crores or more than Rs.20 crores.
Petty producers manufacturing by itself
A makeshift stall selling food products.
Businesses involved in selling food at a social or a religious gathering, other than a caterer.
Cottage industries associated with food products
Production or processing units of vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller system. With a capacity to provide not more than 100 kg/liter per day (except milk or meat).
Dairy units, involved in procurement/collection/handling/chilling of milk, having a capacity of not more than 500 liters per day, or up to 2.5 Metric Ton of milk solids annually.
A slaughtering capacity of not more than 2 large animals or 10 small animals or 50 poultry birds per day.
Proprietary Foods
Production and processing units of vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller unit. With a turnover within Rs. 12 lacs to Rs. 20 crores annually.
Hotels of 4-star ratings or less or that have been rated 5-star or more.
Storages having a capacity of less than 50,000 metric tonnes yearly or with a capacity of more than 50,000 metric tonnes.
All food processing units including re-packers, with a daily capacity of not less than 100 kg/liter to up to 2 metric tonnes.
100 % export oriented units involved in food production or processing.
Every Importer including the import of food ingredients or additives.
Caterers working under Central Government or related agencies such as Railways, Airlines and airport, Seaport, Defence, etc.
All food processing units including re-packers and excluding the grains, pulses & cereals milling units with a capacity of over 2 metric tonnes per day.
All FBOs involved in producing an item of food, additive or it’s ingredient, using some new process or technology, and/or a combination thereof, whose safety has not been established yet by the FSSAI. Or they may not have a history of safe usage. It covers the food articles being introduced in the country, for the first time.
Businesses engaged in food activities are required to apply for a food license which can be of different types based on turnover, the scale of business, and the type of activity.
Petty food business operators (FBOs) are eligible to apply for FSSAI registration and these include
• Those who manufacture or sell food items either themselves or via a retailer, hawker, itinerant vendor or a temporary stall owner.
• Those who distribute food, which also includes, in any religious or social gathering except a caterer.
• Other food businesses including small scale or cottage industry or such other industries relating to food business or tiny food businesses with an annual turnover not exceeding Rs 12 lakhs and those whose:
• Production capacity of food, other than milk and milk products and meat and meat products, does not exceed 100 kg/ltr per day.
• Procurement or handling and collection of milk is up to 500 litres of milk per day or up to 2.5 metric ton (MT) of milk solids per annum.
• Vegetable oil processing units, including units that are producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller unit with a turnover of up to 100 kg or ltr per day.
• Meat processing units with a production of more than 100 kgs per day or 30 MT per day.
• Slaughtering capacity is 2 large animals or 10 small animals or 50 poultry birds per day or less.
• All food processing units other than mentioned above including repackers with a capacity of up to 100 Ltr /Kg per day.
• Cold storage including the Storage Excluding Controlled Atmosphere+ Cold as well as cold and refrigerated storage and cold storage which is temperature controlled, each having a turnover of up to Rs 12 lakhs per annum.
• Wholesalers, retailers, distributors, and suppliers having an annual turnover of up to Rs 12 lakhs.
• Dhaba owners and other food vending establishments along with clubs and canteens having up to Rs 12 lakhs turnover per annum.
• Hotels and Restaurants with a turnover of up to Rs 12 lakhs per annum.
• Transporters with an annual turnover of up to Rs 12 lakhs.
ELIGIBILITY FOR APPLYING FOR FSSAI LICENCE
A licence is for food business operators that do not classify as petty food businesses. Often the amount of business the FBOs do, in terms of income and their yearly production capacity often makes them eligible for a licence. The FSSAI licence is further of two types, a State FSSAI Licence and a Central FSSAI Licence.
The eligibility for food business operators for a State FSSAI Licence include-
Dairy units, including milk chilling units that are equipped to handle or process milk from 501 litres per day (LPD) to 50,000 LPD or 2.5 million tons (MT) to 2,500 MT of milk solids per annum.
Vegetable oil processing units and also units that vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries, which include oil expeller unit that produces up to 2 MT per day or have an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above.
Slaughtering units that a have a capacity in case of large animals of more than 2 and up to 50; for small animals capacity more than 10 and up to 150 and for poultry birds capacity more than 50 and up to 1000 per day.
Meat processing units that have a capacity of upto 500 kg of meat per day or of 150 MT per annum.
All food processing units which even includes relabellers and repackers that have a capacity of more than 100 kg per ltr and up to 2 MT per day and includes all grains, pulses and cereals milling units.
Storage businesses excluding that which have controlled atmosphere and cold, that have a capacity of up to 50,000 MT. For storages that are cold and refrigerated, the eligibility criteria is a capacity of more than 10,000 MT and for storages that have cold and controlled atmosphere too, the eligibility capacity is more than 10,000 MT.
Wholesalers that have an annual turnover of up to 30 crores.
Retailers, distributors, suppliers as well as caterers with a turnover of up to 20 crores per annum.
Dhaba owners, or owners of other food vending establishments as well as clubs and canteens that have an annual turnover of 12 lakhs.
Hotels that have a minimum of 3 star rating and below 5 star.
Restaurants that have a turnover of up to Rs 20 crores. • Marketers that have a turn over annually of 20 crores.
Transporters that have a minimum of 100 vehicles or wagons, or an annual turnover of up to 30 crores.
The eligibility for food business operators for applying for a Central FSSAI Licenceinclude-
Dairy units including milk chilling units that are equipped to handle or process more than 50,000 litres of liquid milk per day or 2500 MT of milk solid per annum.
Vegetable oil processing units and units producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller units that have a capacity of processing more than 2 MT per day.
Slaughtering units which handle more than 50 large animals or 150 small animals or more than 1000 poultry birds per day.
Meat processing units that are processing more than 500 kg of meat per day or 150 MT per annum.
All food processing units including re-labellers and repackers that are processing more than 2 MT per day except grains, cereals and pulses milling units.
All manufacturers of proprietary foods.
All 100% Export oriented units.
All importers who are importing food items including food ingredients and additives for commercial use.
Storage units other than those having controlled atmosphere and cold environment having capacity of more than 50,000 MT. Cold or refrigerated storage units having a capacity of more than 10,000 MT and controlled atmosphere + cold storage having a capacity of more than 1,000 MT.
Wholesalers having a turnover of more than.30 crores per annum.
Retailers, distributors, suppliers and caterers having an annual turnover of more than Rs.20 crores.
Hotels that have a five-star rating and above.
Restaurants having a turnover of more than Rs.20 crores per annum.
Transporters having more than 100 vehicles or turnover of more than Rs.30 crores per annum.
Marketers having turnover of more than Rs.20 crores per annum.
Storage or Wholesalers or Retailers or Distributors having premises in Central Government Agencies.
Food catering services in establishments and units under Central Government Agencies like Defence, etc.
BENEFITS OF FSSAI REGISTRATION
The food business owners can benefit from having an FSSAI license by doing the following:
Legal compliance
Quality Control
Consumer Trust and Confidence
Maintain food safety
Increase goodwill
Make consumers aware
International Trade
When an entrepreneur holds an FSSAI license, raising money from investors is simple
The registration number visible on the food premises denotes that the location complies with criteria for cleanliness and quality.
WHAT IS THE VALIDITY OF THE FSSAI LICENSE?
FSSAI license can be obtained for a period of 1 year to 5 years. While applying for FSSAI license, one may decide for how long one wishes to obtain the FSSAI License. The fees for the FSSAI License shall also vary as per the number of years chosen for FSSAI registration. All the Food business operators must start their food business only after obtaining the valid FSSAI license. It is necessary to renew the FSSAI license before expiration to continue business.
Penalties will be imposed if you forget FSSAI registration renewal, so it is always recommended to keep a check on the FSSAI license expiry date.
Types of FSSAI Registration
FSSAI Basic Registration
The FSSAI registration is for food business operators (FBOs) who have small-sized businesses or start-ups. They have an annual turnover of less than Rs.12 lakh. Basic registration can be upgraded depends on your business sales graph productivity.
FSSAI State license
The State FSSAI License is for the FBOs which have medium-size business. They have an annual turnover of more than Rs.12 Lakhs or up to Rs.20 crores. The state license can be further upgraded to a central license, all depends on your business sale graph productivity.
FSSAI Central license
The Central FSSAI License is applicable for FBOs which have a large business annual turnover i.e. above Rs.20 crores. It is also required in cases where you need to supply at the government offices or import/export food products.