FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARD AUTHORITY OF INDIA (FSSAI) is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, The Government of India. This authority regulates the quality of food and supervises the standard of food provided in the market. This authority provides food license to the organization dealing with the business of food and its supply in India. The authority registered under Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 to consolidate the regulations related to the food safety across India. Any person can apply for the food license; the person can be an individual natural person, or private limited company, limited liability partnership, firm, an association of person, other body corporate. If any company’s main activity is related to food preparation or other human consumable items then that entity has to apply for FSSAI registration or license only after company registration as at the time of FSSAI registration the certificate of registration has to be submitted to the government.
It is also known as food license, FSSAI license, food registration. The authority takes care of the public health by framing regulation for the food and its item and by supervision of food safety so that the public get a good quality of food supply. The main responsibility of the authority is to check the quality of the food and grant license if the organization pass the quality check. FSSAI sets the rules and regulations for the organizations dealing in the food sector. Every organization dealing in food business necessary to take food registration or license irrespective of turnover of the business, it is mandatory to apply for the license for every food sector business. If any organization is dealing in Import or Export business for food products then they should apply for the Import Export Code (IEC) along with FSSAI License. If any organization took GST Registration for its business of food including café, dhaba, hawkers, etc. as a proprietorship even then the FSSAI is mandatory. FSSAI License or food license is a certificate provided by the authority that the organization ensure the quality check of food quality and they maintained the quality of food. There are some basic licenses which are required to taken by the business entity which are dealing in restaurant services or hotel services like company registration or LLP registration or proprietorship whichever is required, FSSAI registration and Trademark registration.
FSSAI Registration Certificate
There are a few category of FBOs who require only Food Registration. No license is required to run their business and these are:
- Manufacturer or seller of food items like; hawker, temporary stallholder, distributor of food except for caterer.
- FBO of food manufacturing, processing including re-labellers & repackers, storage, wholesaler, retailer, distributor, supplier, caterer, restaurant, marketer whose turnover is less than 12 lakh per annum
- Production capacity of food is not more than 100 kg/ltr per day except milk and milk product and meat and meat products
- Procurement or handling and collection of milk is up to 500 ltr per day
- Slaughtering capacity is 2 large animal or 10 small animal or 50 poultry birds per day or less.
- Vegetable oil processing including extraction, refineries and oil expeller unit having installed capacity of up to 12 lakh per annum
- Other FBOs like Dhaba, club, canteen, permanent or temporary stallholder, food stall or arrangement in a religious gathering, or any other food vending establishment having turnover up to 12 lakh per annum
FSSAI Central License
The following FBOs are mandatorily required FSSAI Central License:
- All E-commerce food business
- 5 star and above accreditation hotels
- 100% export oriented units
- All importers who are importing food products including ingredients and additives even for commercial use
- The registered office of FBOs operating in two states or more
- All FBO of manufacturing/processing/importing any proprietory food for which NOC has been given by FSSAI
- Catering services in Central Government Agencies like Railway, Air and Airport, Seaport, Defence etc
- Meat Processing unit equipped to handle or process more than 500 kg per day or 150 MT per annum.
- Slaughter more than 50 large animals, or 150 or more small animals (includes sheep & goats), or 1000 or more poultry birds
- Vegetable oil processing including extraction, refineries and oil expeller unit having installed capacity of more than 2 MT per day
- The dairy unit including milk chilling unit equipped to handle or process more than 50000 ltr of milk liquid per day of 2500 MT milk solid per annum.
- All food processing units other than in point 8 to 11 including repacker and re-labeller having installed capacity of more than 2 MT/day except grains, cereals and pulses milling.
- Transporter having more than 100 vehicles/wagons or turnover more than 30 crores
- Other FBOs like a retailer, distributor, supplier, caterer, restaurant, marketer having turnover more than 20 crores and in case of wholesaler turnover more than 30 crores.
- In case of storage (except controlled atmosphere and cold) capacity more than 50000 MT, storage (cold or refrigerated) capacity more than 10000 MT and storage (controlled atmosphere and cold) capacity more than 1000 MT
FSSAI STATE LICENSE
All the FBOs who are not falling in the above two categories has to file the FSSAI license with the State Authority :
- 3 star and above but below 5 stars and up to 3 star whose turnover is more than 12 lakh
- Catering services in Central Government Agencies like Railway, Air and Airport, Seaport, Defence etc (few areas are excluded)
- Meat Processing unit equipped to handle or process up to 500 kg per day or 150 MT per annum.
- Slaughter more than 2 and up to 50 large animals, or small animals more than 10 and up to 150 (includes sheep & goats), or poultry birds more than 50 and up to 1000/day
- Vegetable oil processing including extraction, refineries and oil expeller unit having installed capacity of up to 2 MT per day and turnover more than 12 lakh
- The dairy unit including milk chilling unit equipped to handle or process 501 to 50000 ltr of milk liquid per day or 2.5 MT to 2500 MT milk solid per annum.
- All food processing units other than in point 8 to 11 including repacker and re-labeller having installed capacity of more than 100 kg/ltr to 2 MT/day except grains, cereals and pulses milling.
- Transporter having up to 100 vehicles/wagons or turnover up to 30 crores
- Other FBOs like a retailer, distributor, supplier, caterer, restaurant, marketer having turnover up to 20 crores and in case of wholesaler turnover up to 30 crores.
- Other FBOs like Dhaba, club, canteen, permanent or temporary stallholder, food stall or arrangement in a religious gathering, or any other food vending establishment having turnover more than 12 lakh per annum
- In case of storage (except controlled atmosphere and cold) capacity up to 50000 MT, storage (cold or refrigerated) capacity up to 10000 MT and storage (controlled atmosphere and cold) capacity up to 1000 MT