To run any food related business in India legally, it is mandatory to obtain Food License registration certified by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India. FSSAI is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of government of India, established under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006.
To run any
food related business in India legally, it is mandatory to obtain Food License
registration certified by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India.
FSSAI is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of
government of India, established under the Food Safety and Standards Act of
2006. FSSAI certification is issued to food manufacturers, processors,
distributers, transporters, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants,
canteens and other such businesses to ascertain the safety and quality of the
food consumed by public.
FSSAI has
recently updated their licensing system as Food Safety Compliance System
(FoSCoS) which came in effect from 1st June 2020. There are different types of
food business licenses based on the scale of the business. The basic license
can be availed by businesses with annual turnover less than 12 lacs, the state
license can be availed by business with annual turnover between 12 lacs and 20
crores and finally there’s central license that can be availed by businesses of
more than 20 crores of annual turnover. All of these licenses have a validity
period of 1 to 5 years.
The FSSAI
license is issued to businesses if they comply with the regulations and
guidelines mandated following the particulars of the business such as the
nature of business, capacity of production, area of operation, scale of
operations etc. Upon meeting all the requirements, a 14 digits license number
is issued that has to be printed on all the packages produced by the business.
Restaurants and other eating houses are also required to obtain license and
permit from FSSAI to be operational. Apart from being a legal necessity without
which businesses are not allowed to function and operating in the absence of
which will lead to legal penalty, the FSSAI license can be of much advantage to
the businesses.
For
starters, they get to stay open! Additionally, it builds trust and goodwill
among consumers as safety is ensured and he stamp of government approval builds
brand value. This can help business with providing greater scope for growth and
expansion. Furthermore, it can be helpful while seeking government funding or
bank loans. It also ensures government help in case the business is faced with
non-compliance issues in the future. The process of obtaining license can be
done online and it takes roughly about 1-3 months. The documents that are needed
would include identity proof, registration documents of company, proof or
ownership etc. Once the license is granted, you are at liberty to run your
business knowing it is safe you and the ones you serve.