FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which lays down the standard for the article of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

FSSAI is an authority that governs and monitors the food business in India. Any person or an entity proposing to start a food business in India is required to obtain a food license or shall seek registration from the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).

FSSAI Registration

Basic FSSAI Registration is required where the food businesses of the persons are small-sized. Food business operators like manufacturers or sellers, transporters, storage units, hawkers, distributors, marketers, retailers, etc. are required to acquire basic FSSAI Registration which is issued by the State Government of respective states for the minimum period of 1 year and the maximum period of 5 years.

Basic FSSAI registration is ideal for small scale industries or cottage or such other industries relating to food business or tiny food businesses whose annual turnover does not exceed Rs. 12 lakhs.

FSSAI – State Licence

The food business operators, like small to medium-sized manufacturers, storage units, transporters, marketers, retailers, distributors, etc.  having an annual turnover exceeding Rs. 12 lakh, are required to obtain the State FSSAI License. It is issued by the State Government of the respective state having a minimum period of validity of 1 year and the maximum period of validity of 5 years.

Followings are some of the types of entities that require obtaining FSSAI state license:

Apart from the above-mentioned turnover limit, certain food business are required to take FSSAI Licence mandatorily –

• Hotel providing facilities for lodging, meals and other guest services up to the four-star rating.

• Food vending agencies 100 vending machines in only 1 state.

• Clubs and Canteens

• Dairy units processing milk over 500 litres of per day or processing milk solids 2.5 MT of per year

• Meat processing unit capacity of more than 500kg of meat per day or 150 MT of meat per year.

FSSAI – Central Licence

Food business operators like large manufacturers, 100% export oriented units; importers, operators in the Central Government agencies, airports, seaports, etc.having a turnover exceeding Rs. 20 crores are required to obtain a Central Food License issued by the Central Government.

The minimum period for which this license is granted is one year and the maximum period is 5 years.

Apart from the above-mentioned turnover limit, certain food business are required to take FSSAI central Licence mandatorily –

• Five-star hotels

• Food vending agencies having more than 100 vending machines or having machines in more than two states

• e-commerce food business

• Food business activity in Railway Stations

• Proprietary or novel food manufacturers

• Dairy units with the capacity to processing milk more than 50,000 litres of per day or more than 2500MT of milk solids per year

• Vegetable oil processing units with a processing capacity of more than 2MT per day

• Cold storage units with a storing capacity of more than 10,000 MT

• Cold storage that is atmospherically controlled with a capacity of more than 1000 MT

• Food storage with a capacity of more than 50,000 MT