ISI Mark Certification for Food Related Products

India is the second-biggest food producer worldwide, making India the highest consumer of Food and a contributor too. Nevertheless, the degraded quality of Food can cause serious harm. That is why the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) has made the ISI Mark Certification for Food and other products.

ISI Mark Certification allows you to use the ISI Mark. Under the ISI Certification scheme, more than 346 products require an ISI Mark Certification mandatorily. Without this, the manufacturer cannot manufacture and sell Food and other related products in India.

Any manufacturer and importer who want to get their product registered under the ISI Scheme of BIS must follow pre-defined processes from the authority, which comprise-

• Testing of the product
• Application filing
• Inspection and
• Application scrutiny.

Primary purposes of getting ISI Mark Certification for food products

• It increases consumer satisfaction and strengthens the business goodwill;
• Give a guarantee of quality & safety of the food products;
• Confirming delivery of high-quality food products to customers;
• Reducing wastage of resources and thereby minimising the costs of  food production;
• Give better growth prospects to the business;
• Reduce product rejections.

Benefits of ISI Mark Certification

Following are the benefits of obtaining ISI Mark Certification for food products:

• A BIS Certificate protects against penalties for not certifying a food product.
• A BIS Certificate^[1] proves that a food product has been tested and certified according to prescribed standards.
• A certified food product provides a sense of safety & security to the customers, thus ensuring easy acceptance.
• It gives a competitive advantage over competitors.
• Efficiently market approval as a product is tested and certified.
• Confirm the unbeaten quality standards.
• Gives an easy market assessment.

Documents Required for Obtaining ISI Mark Certification for Food Products

Following are some essential documents required for obtaining ISI Mark Certification for Food Products:

1. Proof of address of the manufacturing unit;
2. Certificate copy of the registration
3. A copy of the test report by the BSI-certified lab;
4. Information on equipment used for testing;
5. Trademark Registration Certificate copy;
6. Packaging information like the size of the product, quality of product, storage facility, etc.
7. Layout plan of the factory premises.
8. Certificate copy by the Regulatory Authority;
9. A bank statement copy of the company;
10. Flow chart of the manufacturing procedure;
11. Proof of Indian residency;
12. Details regarding the raw material being used;
13. Newly convenient bills like electricity bills, water tax receipts, gas bills, etc.
14. The food product or ingredient drawing.

Procedure for obtaining ISI Mark Certification for Food Products

Following are the essential process to obtain ISI Mark Certification for Food products in India:

• Select the Product Code: the primary step to choosing the food product quality that complies with all the norms set by the BIS. The applicant must choose and identify an ISI Standard product code for their food product.
• Filling the Application: after we select the ISI Standard product code, we will apply for ISI Mark Certification. Further, the applicant must pay the prescribed fee and the registration fees for inspection.
• Inspection by BIS of the Factory Premise: After filing the Application, the BIS Officer and the inspection team will go to the factory premise of the applicant and inspect the quality control and manufacturing procedure.
• Submit Report of Sample: it is mandatory to submit a sample report of the food product from the certified labs and submit it to BIS.
• Grant of ISI Mark Certificate: after all process is completed, the BIS grant an ISI Mark Certificate. The procedure of obtaining ISI Mark Certification takes 30 days from the date of Application.

Note: ISI Mark Certificate is valid for one year, and then it can be further renewed by applying for renewal and paying the audit renewal fees. A Practising CA must investigate the Application for the renewal.

The Reasons for the Rejection of the ISI Mark Application

These are some norms & conditions which, if not complied with, then BIS reject the ISI Mark application:-

• If there is not sufficient technical personnel with the manufacturer;
• If there is a failure on the manufacturer’s part, assist in visiting the office at the time of visit to the factory.
• The firm or the applicant is indulging in unethical practice;
• In case the firm has not submitted genuine documents ;
• In case there is a vast digression in the manufacturing facility from the declared (BIS Official) facility;
• The samples of product drawn for testing fail the test;
• In case there are lack of facilities for testing by the manufacturer;
• In case there is non-conformity in factory testing of product samples during the second time. 

Note: Before rejecting the ISI Mark application for a food product, the BIS will give you a 21-day notice period to hear in person through a representative. If the reasons you give are not satisfactory, then the BIS will reject the Application.

Penalty for Misusing an ISI Mark Certification

If a manufacturer and importer of any products counterfeits or imitate a registered ISI Mark, will subject the manufacturer to a penalty of Rs. 5000/- and jail for up to one year.

Conclusion

Obtaining an ISI Mark Certification for Food Products includes challenging aspects because it includes several activities like food product analysis, knowledge of Indian Standards, and more to ensure conformance with the standards.