Different types of FSSAI License and their requirements

FSSAI, an acronym stands for Food Safety & Standards Authority of India, is an autonomous body of Central Level governed by Ministry of Public Health ensures the quality of food for the consumers of India. FSSAI license is necessary for all those entrepreneurs who are the part of Food industry in India. There are different types of FSSAI license in India.

The FSSAI license ensures that the food has passed all the quality and Standards test and is good for human consumption. Consumers nowadays prefer only those food products which have FSSAI LOGO on it as it gives them assurance regarding the quality of the product.

So, a food product manufacturers, retailers, distributors, transporters must acquire this license if they want to survive in Food industry of India. There are different types of FSSAI license in India but before that we must know what FSSAI license is:

What is FSSAI license?

FSSAI license is a license grants by Ministry of Public Health which is operated by Central Government of India to regulate and promote the food safety measures in India. All the entrepreneurs whether they are manufacturers, raw material suppliers, food sellers, or anyone who is operating in food industry must obtain this license for their business.

Entrepreneurs have to gone through various standard tests of their food supplies to ensure the safety of public health in India. The Authority issuing FSSAI license is also responsible for creating awareness about the food products and its ingredients among customers, manufacturers, retailers etc.

This Authority was established under Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 to ensure the gap between good quality and adulterated food for the health of 130 Cr population of India. It usually takes 2 months for the issuance of FSSAI license and six months to launch the product in the market. There are 3 different types of FSSAI License depending on the nature of business.

What are the different types of FSSAI License?

Basic FSSAI License

This license must be obtained by petty food retailers, small scale manufacturers, temporary stall holders, entrepreneurs engage in storage and distribution on small scale and all those who have an annual turnover of less than 12 lakhs. This is issued by state government with the tenure of 1-5 years.

Documents required for basic FSSAI registration are as follows:

• Submitting Application in Form A.
• Photograph of the food operator or owner of the business.
• Identity proof of the Directors ( Voter ID card, Aadhar Card, Passport)
• Address Proof of the Directors( PAN Card, Voter ID, Driving License)
• No Objection Certificate by Municipality/ Panchayat
• No Objection Certificate of Health.

State FSSAI License

All the small to medium size entrepreneurs who are operating as manufacturers, retailers, traders, distributors and having the annual turnover of more than 12 lakhs must obtain State FSSAI License. This license is issued by respective State Government to all those who are a part of food industry. This license is issued with minimum 1 year to maximum 5 years validity.

Documents required for State FSSAI License are as follows:       

• Completed and Signed FORM B by directors or partners.
• Blueprint of the area allocated along with the operating unit in meters or square meters.          
• List of owners/Directors/Partners.
• List of all equipments/machines used while processing in layout( specially in case of Manufacturing unit)
• List of all food and ingredients processed in the outlet.
• Identity and address proof of directors
• Contact details of owners                                                                                                                            
• An Authority letter with name and address of directors,
• Authority letter of nominee by owners who assist officers during the time of tests and inspection.                 
• Examined report of water used in food
• Proof of premises (rent agreement, property papers etc.)
• Partnership Deed, MOA/AOA
• No Objection Certificate or the duplicate license from manufactures in case of distributors, resellers, labeling or packaging unit.
• FSMS (Food Safety Management System) Certificate or plan.
• Source of milk in case of dairy products processing units.
• Source of meat in case of meat products processing unit.
• No Objection Certificate from Municipality or Panchayat
• Form IX completed and signed
• In case of transportation; No. of vehicle, Certificate provided by Ministry of Tourism, Declaration form in case of Delhi or Himachal Pradesh.

Central FSSAI License

All those entrepreneurs who are operating their food business on large scale must obtain Central FSSAI license. All the large scale manufacturers, retailers, exporters, those who operate with Central Government agencies, seaports etc and have the annual turnover of more than 20 crore must obtain this license. This license is issued by Central Government with the tenure of 1-5 years.

Documents required to obtain Central FSSAI License are as follows:     

• Completed and Signed FORM B by directors or partners.
• Blueprint of the area allocated along with the operating unit in meters or square meters.          
• List of owners/Directors/Partners
• List of all equipments used while processing( specially in case of Manufacturing unit)
• List of all food and ingredients processed in the outlet.
• Identity and address proof of directors
• Contact details of owners                                                                                                                                     
• An Authority letter with name and address of directors, nominee by owners who assist officers during the time of tests and inspection.                                                                                 
• Examined report of water used in food.
• In case of Packed or Mineral water processing unit, Pesticides residue report must be submitted.
• Proof of premises (rent agreement, property papers etc.)
• Partnership Deed, MOA/AOA
• Non-Objection Certificate or the duplicate license from manufactures in case of distributors, resellers, labeling or packaging unit.
• FSMS (Food Safety Management System) Certificate or plan.
• No Objection Certificate by FSSAI
• Import- Export Code by Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
• Declaration form by FSSAI
• Supporting Proof of the turnover of the company.
• Source of milk in case of dairy products processing units.
• Source of meat in case of meat products processing unit.
• No Objection Certificate from Municipality or Panchayat
• Form IX completed and signed in case of Nominee
• In case of transportation; No. of vehicle, Certificate provided by Ministry of Tourism, Declaration form in case of Delhi or Himachal Pradesh.

Benefits of FSSAI License

FSSAI license must be obtained by every entrepreneur who is engaged in food industry. Following are the benefits of obtaining FSSAI license:

 Helps to create awareness

 This is the foremost advantage of obtaining FSSAI license. The FSSAI license helps to create awareness regarding the food product, the quality of the food, its whole ingredients, and the information regarding its nutrition. It not only generates awareness among consumers who must know that which type of product they are going to consume but also for all the traders or distributers who must be aware about the food they are going to serve their consumers.

Legal advantage

This is the second important advantage of FSSAI License. Entrepreneurs who are operating in food industry must acquire this license. Sometimes, they might considered this process of obtaining FSSAI license as the back breaking process and try to avoid of this license but this is not true because if they will be found without license by inspectors during the time of inspection then they have to pay huge fine for not obtaining the license as it is the matter of public health and safety.

Business Expansion

Entrepreneurs who are having FSSAI license can easily expand their food business in other areas or by opening different outlets in one state or in various states. They can easily apply for state license if their turnover is more than 12 lakhs and can acquire central license if they are working with central government agencies.

FSSAI Logo

Once you obtained your FSSAI License then you can use FSSAI LOGO with your 14 digits FSSAI number on your food packets. The FSSAI logo ensures that your food has passed all the quality and standard test. It gives assurance to your consumers that your product is of good quality and builds your brand image in the market.

So, FSSAI license is an integral part of your business if you are operating in the food industry because without this you can’t survive in this industry. If you are selling food products without FSSAI registration then you have to pay huge penalty to the government for not obtaining the license. The registration process of FSSAI is not as laborious as it looks like but after you obtain this license you can operate without any hustle and builds your market image.