How to Start a FSSAI State License

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An Overview of FSSAI State License

FSSAI (Food Safety Standards Authority of India) was introduced under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 and it's an independent body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, that governs food businesses all over India. If a Food Business Operator wants to expand its food business operations in other locations in a particular state and has an annual turnover between Rs. 12 lakhs to Rs. 20 crores, then it is mandatory to obtain FSSAI State License. FSSAI State License is needed by Food Business Operators (FBOs) involved in the storage, retailing, distribution, manufacturing, transportation, marketing, etc., of food and beverages. FSSAI License contains a 14-digit Registration Number, which is labelled on the packaging of the food products.

Why is it important to obtain FSSAI License in India?

FSSAI License is vital for any food-related business in India due to the following reasons:

  • As per the Act, all the Food Business Operators must obtain Food License if they are involved in the food business;
  • FSSAI License is like an evidence of the fact that your food is harmless & it's safe for consumption;
  • Assurance of the fact that food manufacturing is done in the right manner because this license is attained after the verification of food quality;
  • The penalties are much higher than the cost of obtaining a new Food License and it acts as a precautionary measure from legal proceedings & penalties;
  • In case a food business is seeking government tenders & corporate business, FSSAI License can act as a vital factor;
  • The owner of the Food License can use the FSSAI Logo on the menu card and promotional business ads to get an extra edge over other unregistered Food Business Operators.

Eligibility Criteria for FSSAI State License

Following are the eligibility criteria for FSSAI State License:

Manufacturer

Dairy Units comprising milk chilling units equipped to handle or process

10001-50,000 Litres of milk per day

501 MT – 2500 MT of milk solids per annum

Slaughtering Units

·         Poultry Birds (More than 50 up to 1000/day)

·         Small Animal (More than 10 up to 150/day)

·         Large or Big Animal (More than 2 up to 50/day)

Meat Processing Units

Up to 500 kg meat per day/150 MT per annum

Vegetable oil processing units & units producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction & refineries, including oil expeller unit

Up to 2 MT per day

All food processing units other than Dairy Units, Vegetable Oil, Slaughtering houses & Meat Processing

·         More than 101 kg/ltr to 1 MT/day in all cereals, pulses, and grains milling units without any limit on production capacity

·         Production Capacity: 1 MT to 2 MT per day

Other Businesses

Storage (Cold or Refrigerated)

Capacity up to 10,000 MT

Wholesaler

Turnover up to 30 crores per annum

Retailer

Turnover up to 20 crores per annum

Distributor

Turnover up to 20 crores per annum

Supplier

Turnover up to 20 crores per annum

Caterer

Turnover up to 20 crores per annum

Restaurant

Turnover up to 20 crores per annum

Marketer

Turnover up to 20 crores per annum

Club or Canteen

Turnover up to 20 crores per annum

Transporter

Having up to 100 vehicles or turnover up to Rs. 30 crores

Dhaba, Boarding houses service food, Banquet halls with food catering arrangements, home-based canteens or Dabba Wallas, Permanent or Temporary stall owners, Food stalls or Arrangements in Religious gatherings or fairs, etc., Fish or Meat or Poultry Shop or Seller or any other food vending establishment

Turnover more than 12 lakhs/per annum

Food vending agencies

Up to 100 vending machines in one State or UT (Union Territory)

Hotel

·         3 stars & 4 stars

·         Up to 3 stars & turnover more than 12 lakhs/annum

Mid-Day Meal Canteen

Turnover of more than Rs. 12 lakhs per annum

Documents Required for FSSAI State License

Following are some important documents required for FSSAI State License

  1. Duly signed and completed Form-B by the Proprietor or Partner of the authorised signatory;
  2. Layout Plan of the processing or manufacturing unit showing the dimensions in meters or sq. mt. and operation-wise allocation (compulsory for manufacturing & processing units only);
  3. In the case of manufacturers, a list of food categories intended to be manufactured;
  4. List of Directors or Partners or Proprietor or Executive Members of Society or Trust will complete address & contact details (compulsory for companies only);
  5. Photo id and address proof of Partner or Director or Proprietor or Authorised Signatory;
  6. Name & list of machinery & equipment along with the number, installed capacity & Horse Power used (mandatory for processing and manufacturing units only);
  7. Analysis report of water to be used as an ingredient in food from a recognised or public health lab to confirm the portability (compulsory for processing and manufacturing units only);
  8. Proof of possession of premises such as Rent Agreement or Sale Deed or latest electricity bill, etc., (if required);
  9. In the case of Cooperatives, a copy of a certificate under the Coop Act, 1981 or Multi-State Coop Act, 2002;
  10. Food Safety Management Plan (if any);
  11. NOCs from Municipality or Local Body;
  12. Certificate provided by Ministry of Tourism (only for hotels);
  13. Form IX (Nomination of persons or individuals by a company along with the Board Resolution);
  14. For transporters – relevant documentary proof for turnover or self-declaration of number of vehicles (Mandatory for Transporters);
  15. Source of raw materials for meat & meat processing plants (wherever applicable);
  16. Partnership or Affidavit of Proprietorship or MoA & AoA towards the constitution of the firm (optional);
  17. Recall plan along with details on whom the product is distributed (wherever applicable);
  18. Pesticide residue report of water in an instance of units manufacturing packaged drinking water, mineral water and/or carbonated water from a certified public health lab;
  19. Authority letter along with name & address of responsible person nominated by the manufacturer along with the alternative responsible person or individual indicating the powers vested with them viz helping the officers in examination, samples collection, dispatch & packing (for processors or manufacturers);
  20. NOC and license copy from the manufacturer (compulsory for relabellers & repackers only);
  21. Source of milk/procurement plan for milk comprising the location of milk collection centres etc., (in case of milk & milk products processing units);
  22. Declaration form (in the case of Delhi and Himachal Pradesh).

Procedure for getting FSSAI State License in India

Following is the step by step procedure for obtaining FSSAI State License:

Step 1: First, the applicant needs to arrange all the documents mentioned above and file the application via Form-B.

Step 2: Then submit the application form and documents to licensing authority through the online portal of FSSAI known as FoSCoS and the filing process ends with the submission of prescribed fees;

Step 3: After submitting the application along with documents, the in-depth examination of the same by FSSAI’s officials.

Step 4: If required, an on-site inspection will be conducted by the officials of FSSAI to know the compliance level at business premises.

Step 5: After all the above steps, if the licensing authority is satisfied, they will issue the FSSAI State License.

Note: After getting FSSAI State License, the business owner can start their business operations and the license owner needs to display the license at their business premises.

Penalty for Non-Compliance

Whether you hold Basic Registration or any FSSAI License, you are supposed to follow the standards prescribed by FSSAI regarding the food business operations. Any non-compliance to the following guidelines can lead to a hefty penalty as follows:

Particulars

Penalty

Penalty for sub-standard food

Up to 5 lakh INR

Penalty for misbranded food

Up to 3 lakh INR

Penalty for misleading advertisement

10 lakh

Penalty for food consisting of superfluous matter

1 lakh

Food quality not in accordance with Act

2 Lakh

Petty manufacturer – 25,000

Penalty for not complying with the guidelines of the Food Safety Officer

2 lakh INR

Penalty for unsanitary or unhygienic or processing/ manufacturing of food

1 lakh INR

FAQs of FSSAI State License

Every FBO (Food Business Operator) that is having an Annual Turnover between Rs 12 Lakhs to Rs 20 Crore needs to obtain State FSSAI License.

No, the turnover limit for the FSSAI State Manufacturing License and FSSAI State Trading License is same as FSSAI State License.

All the Food Business Operators that have an Annual Turnover between Rs 12 lakhs to Rs 20 crore per annum need to obtain FSSAI State License.

The entities, such as a unit of vegetable oil and refineries; 4-star rating Hotels; Dairy units; Slaughter shops; and Food processing units, etc. need to obtain FSSAI State License.

Yes, by choosing Swarit Advisors, one can easily obtain his/her FSSAI License.

The fee for obtaining State FSSAI License varies from one state to another. However, the same will range between Rs 2000 to Rs 5000.

Yes, FSSAI State Trading License is required for doing trading business.

A Manufacturing Unit needs to obtain State FSSAI License if it has a turnover between Rs 12 Lakhs to Rs 20 Crore.

In such a case, you need to obtain separate State FSSAI Licenses for each state and 1 common Central FSSAI License.

No, the registration certificate for Basic FSSAI Registration is not valid for the Caterers. They compulsorily need to obtain a State FSSAI License, irrespective of their turnover.

The FSSAI Registration process for a catering service or restaurant is similar to getting any other FSSAI license.

No, the FSSAI code is a 14-digit numeric code.

The people exempted from obtaining FSSAI License include Itinerant vendor; Small-scale; Cottage; Tiny FBO (Food Business Operator); a temporary stallholder; Hawker; and any such food business.

A FSSAI License remains valid for a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 5 years. Further, it needs to be renewed at least 30 days before expiry.

In such a case, you need to obtain both Central FSSAI License and State FSSAI Registration. A separate State FSSAI Registration is required for each location.

The owner of a Pulses Milling Unit needs to obtain a State FSSAI License.

A FSSAI License is a type of Premise based license. That means no FBO can have more than 1 FSSAI License for 1 premise.

No, one needs to obtain a Central FSSAI License for Importing Food Items in India.

Yes, as per the guidelines issued by the FSSAI, it is mandatory to display the FSSAI logo and License number on the label or food package.

Yes, the FSSAI license is mandatory for all kinds of food-related businesses, including Manufacturing, Trading, Transportation, or distribution.

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