The Food Standards and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) is the supreme authority which is responsible for regulating and supervising the food safety. It is mandatory for all the Food Business Operators (FBOs) in order to obtain an FSSAI license. A common confusion or a misunderstanding which is among the FBOs is the license which the businessman is required to obtain. FSSAI lays down science-based standards for the articles of food and it also regulates their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and the import in order to ensure the availability of safe and also wholesome food to 130 crore citizens of the country. The authority is thus also responsible for creating an information network across the country so that the public, consumers, etc thus receive rapid, reliable and also accurate information about the food safety and also hygiene and the related issues of concern.
This article would, however, focus on the different types of food FSSAI license which is issued by the authority.
FSSAI, however, issues three different types of food licenses which are:
1. Central License
2. State License
3. Basic Registration
The three licenses, however, differ on the basis of the scale of operation of the food business which is being carried out. The following is the detailed information on the three food licenses.
1. FSSAI Registration Central License: Food business operators such as the Importers, 100% Export Oriented Units, large manufacturers, operators in the Central Government agencies, airports, seaports etc are however required to obtain a Central Food License. The Central license is issued by the Central Government. Furthermore, FBOs have to obtain the Central License for their head office, and if they have operations in more than 1 state. It is thus mostly for the units who are having an annual turnover which is greater than 20 crores.
2. FSSAI Registration State License: Food business operators like small to medium sized manufacturers, storage units, transporters, retailers, marketers, distributors etc. are however required to obtain the Fssai State License. The State License is issued by the State Government and it is important that you have operations in only 1 state, in order to obtain the State license. It is thus mostly for the units having an annual turnover of more than 12 lakh.
3. FSSAI Registration: The Food business operators like petty food manufacturers and also the small-sized manufacturers, storage units, transporters, retailers, marketers, distributors etc are thus required to obtain the FSSAI Registration. The FSSAI Registration is however issued by the State Government. Depending upon the eligibility, an FBO can thus fall under the State or Registration license. It is thus mostly for the units having an annual turnover which is up to 12 lakh.