The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been established under Food Safety and Standards, 2006 which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food related issues in various Ministries and Departments. FSSAI has been created for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
Establishment of the Authority
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the Administrative Ministry for the implementation of FSSAI. The Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have already been appointed by the Government of India. The Chairperson is in the rank of Secretary to Government of India.
Features
- Validity FSSAI licence has validity of 1-2 years and validity can be extended according to business requirements
- FSSAI State/Central Licence State Licence is issued to small and medium scale player like restaurants, hotels and mid-sized food manufacturers and Central Licence is given to large-scale food parks, manufactures etc.
- Specific to Handling Location In each and every location of your business wherein the food is handled requires an FSSAI Registrations or. So, a food business with many processing centres will get multiple FSSAI licenses.
Types of FSSAI Registration
FSSAI Registration is different from the FSSAI License depending on the size and nature of the business. Food Business Operators [ FBOs ] should obtain the necessary registration or license depending on the size of their businesses.
- FSSAI Basic Registration – FBOs having a turnover of less than Rs.12 lakh p.a must obtain FSSAI basic registration. The FSSAI registration form that the applicant has to fill to obtain FSSAI basic registration is Form A.
- FSSAI State License – FBOs having a turnover of more than Rs.12 lakh p.a and less than Rs.20 crore p.a must obtain the FSSAI state license. The FSSAI registration form that the applicant has to fill to obtain an FSSAI state license is Form B.
- FSSAI Central License – FBOs having a turnover of more than Rs.20 crore p.a must obtain the FSSAI central license. The FSSAI registration form that the applicant has to fill to obtain FSSAI central license is Form B.
FSSAI Registration is a 14-digit registration or a license number that is printed on all the food packages. The 14-digit registration number gives details about the assembling state and producer’s permit. This registration procedure is aimed to create more accountability on the FBO to maintain the quality of the food products. The licensing and registration procedure and requirements are regulated by Food Safety & Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011.