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FSSAI License in India
Food Licensing and Registration System Provides the Food License also Known as FSSAI License, Which determines the Food Quality. A Food Licensed person only Authorized to sell his Food. As per Section 31(1) of FSS Act, 2006 Food Licensing is mandatory for Food Business Operators in India. FSSAI is the short form of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, and it is responsible for providing FSSAI license to food products and to the food business owners. Fssai License online in India is essential for all types of food business operators such as food product manufacturers, food traders, and food store operators to receive the license of FSSAI. It is the apex body which was incorporated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Government of India is answerable for preparing and launching the standards for selling, storing and packing of food items in India. Additionally, this license works as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Moreover, there are two types of food licenses according to the size or scale of the business, they are FSSAI Registration and FSSAI License. And FSSAI License is again divided into two parts.
Types of Food Safety License
All types of food-related businesses must apply for a food license. And the type of Food License which you need to get depends on the various factors like turnover of the food business, the scale of the food business and the kind of operations or activities you are indulged in. Basically, there are two types of FSSAI License or food Safety license or FSSAI registration. One is the FSSAI License, and the other is the FSSAI Registration. But, how do you determine, which one of them is right for you?
Let’s dig in detail to get more information about Food Licenses:
- Basic FSSAI Registration
Basic FSSAI Registration is needed by petty food business owners. The turnover of such food- related business should not exceed more than Rs. 12 lakhs per annum such as a petty retailer, itinerant vendor hawker or temporary stallholders.
- FSSAI State License
FSSAI State License is a license issued to a business that has a turnover of between Rs. 12 Lac to Rs. 20 Cr. Furthermore, the turnover limit is the same for an FSSAI State Manufacturing license or an FSSAI State trading license.
- Central FSSAI License
Central FSSAI License registration is a license issued to the food businesses which hold a turnover more than Rs. 20 Crore. Some of the FBOs that come under this category are Manufacturing, Trading and Storage units and so on.
Why does a Food Business need a Food License?
The point of getting a food license is to ensure that the food items or products packed, which are traded and sold by Food Business Operators are up to the quality standards dictated by the FSSAI. The ultimate aim of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is to reduce the chances of inferior food products, food adulteration and to improve the activity of food manufacturers by granting them a FSSAI food license for food business or service.
Documents needed for FSSAI Registration in India
Following is the list of documents required to get your food license:
- Filled and signed Form B
- Photographs of food business operator for identity proof
- Rent agreement for the proof of possession of the premise
- MOA, Partnership deed, AOA, etc. are required as per the type of entity
- List of food items or food products involved
- Complete plan or draft of the food safety management system
Documents needed for Central FSSAI License
- Filled and duly signed Form B
- Blueprint of the food licensing business unit
- List of equipment and machinery used in the business unit
- Details of partners, directors, proprietors, and so on as per the type of entity
- List of food products or food items to be dealt with
- Sources of raw materials used in the production process
- Form IX
- Copy of certificate from the Ministry of Tourism
- Copy of certificate from Ministry of Commerce for 100% EOU
- Rent agreement is required if the premise is rented place
- NOC or No Objection Certificate issued by FSSAI
- Authority Letter
- Declaration Form
- NOC from Manufacturer and a copy of the license
Documents required for FSSAI State License
- Completed and duly signed Form B
- Blueprint of Food business unit
- List of equipment and machinery used in the unit
- Complete details of partners, proprietors, directors, etc. as per the type of entity
- List of food products or food items to be dealt with
- Authority Letter
- Proof of possession of the premise such as rent agreement.
- Certificate of Food Safety Management System
- Any other needed document
Additional documents needed for Manufacturers
- The layout blueprint of the processing unit
- Complete details of machinery or equipment of the unit
- Details of food license online categories that is to be produced or manufactured
- Report for pesticide residues on the water
Stepwise Procedure to Obtain the FSSAI License in India
- Basic Registration
After the verification process of all your documents by the concerned authority next is the login creation stage, and in this stage your login ID is created, then you have to submit duly filled Form A for approval along with the prescribed fees. Your license will be granted by the concerned within 10 to 15 days, as per the location of your business.
- State License
After the verification process of all your documents by the concerned authority, next is the login creation stage, and in this stage your login ID is created. Additionally, to obtain a State License, a special document called the ‘Declaration’ is needed to be submitted with the specified Form. Furthermore, the ‘Declaration’ holds the signed general declaration statement of the operator along with specified Form 9, Proclamation of Food Safety License Management System FSMS and declaration depends on the kind of business carried on by the business operator.
Then, along with the needed documents, Form B has to be filed to complete the process. You will obtain your license within 20 to 30 days, depending on the place where the business operates.
However, if your application has any error or any other issue, you have to edit it, and the application must be submitted within thirty days. Or else, your application will get declined, and you have to again start from the beginning stage.
- Central License
The procedure to receive a Central License is the same as the procedure of obtaining a State License. The only difference is the type of food business operated by the FBO. And the time taken for the granting process of the Central License is also similar.
If the food business is involved in export or import of food items, then the operator needs an IEC, means, Import Export Code regardless of the turnover of the business. Likewise, if the food business is involved in the transportation of food items, then a central license is required, which should mention that FBO is involved in this food business of transporting food items.
penalty for selling food without a license
All FBOs apart from the exempted group as per Section 31 (2) of the FSS Act need to get a food license depending on their eligibility criteria to run their food related business. To make it clear, Food Business Operators who are not obtaining a fssai food licence is liable for fine or penalty as prescribed below:
- Quality of food not in-abidance as per the Act: Rs. 2 Lakhs, Rs. 25000 for petty manufacturers
- For misbranded food products: Rs. 5 Lakhs
- For substandard or low quality food products: Rs. 3 Lakhs
- For false promotion or misleading advertisement or false description Rs. 10 Lakhs
- For not pertinent matters in the food product: Rs. 1 Lakh
- For failing to follow with the food safety officer’s directions: Rs. 2 Lakhs
- For using unhygienic methods of processing or preparing or manufacturing food items: Rs. 1 Lakh
Renewal of FSSAI License
All the food businesses operators should follow the rules and regulations defined in the FSSAI Act 2006 . Receiving FSSAI license is a must for every food business owner or operator. And the majority of the population doesn’t aware that getting FSSAI License renewal is equally important as obtaining FSSAI license. It is mandatory to get FSSAI license renewal within the prescribed time period. As an entrepreneur it is essential to obtain food certificates online whether your food business is all about processing units or manufacturing units or distributing units or food packaging units or trading units in every 1-5 years.
14 Digit FSSAI License Number
FSSAI license is a 14-digit unique number granted to all registered FBOS or Food Business Operators; it has five sections, each one provides different information about the FBO or food business operator. The introductory information of the FSSAI License should be given on the package of the food item along with the logo of FSSAI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, all food export units need to obtain the FSSAI central license as the license is mandatory for both importing and exporting food products.
Yes, FSSAI central license is needed for your business and it is the import-export code. The FSSAI license is mandatory for all importing or exporting food products.
Yes, an FSSAI license should be obtained for all kinds of food-related businesses such as trading, transportation, manufacturing or distribution of food items.
The term ‘Recall” is nothing but the action taken by FBOs to draw back any food product or food item from the source or market which does not follow the rules of section 28 of the FSS Act, 2006.
The process of obtaining a food license for a restaurant or a catering service is the same as obtaining any other license.
Yes, certain FBOs defined by law need to file an annual return in the specified manner.
