FSSAI Central License Package Start @ ₹11,999/-

Our Professional Fee For FSSAI Registration of License

Applicability of Central FSSAI License

The general rule is that the FSSAI Central license is required by large FBOs or by those specifically included, irrespective of the turnover, such as E-Commerce. The following are the most common businesses that require an FSSAI Central License.

Most Common FBO requiring Central License

1. Turnover Criteria: The large FBO has an annual turnover of more than 20 crores, excluding the transporters. In a transporter case, the yearly turnover limit to seek a central licence is 30 crores.
2. E-Commerce Operator: All E-Commerce operators, for example, Flipkart or Amazon, need to take a Central License. It does not mean that the merchants selling through such platforms also need a central license.
3. Exporter or Importer & EOU Units: The FBO operates through 100 % Export Oriented Units and those involved in the export and import of food items, including food ingredients and additives for commercial use.
4. Multi-State Operators: Food Business Operators operating in two or more states must take appropriate FSSAI Registration or License in all the states and a Central License at the Head Office.

Other FBO Requiring FSSAI Central License

All food processing units other than dairy units, vegetable oil, meat processing units & slaughter houses, including relabellers & repackers having installed capacity more than 2 MT/day, except grains, cereals & pulses milling units Hotel rated Five Star & above by the Ministry of Tourism (HRACC) Dairy units, including milk chilling units, equipped to handle or process more than 50,000 litres of liquid milk/day or 2500 MT of milk solids per annum Vegetable oil processing units & units producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction & refineries, including oil expeller units having installed capacity more than 2 MT per day. All slaughterhouses that are equipped to slaughter more than 50 large animals or 150 or more small animals, including sheep & goats, or 1000 or more poultry birds per day. Meat processing units equipped to handle or process more than 500 kg of meat per day or 150 MT per annum. Food catering services in establishments & units under Central government Agencies like Railways, Air & airport, Seaport, Defence, etc. All food business operators manufacturing any article of food containing ingredients or substances, or using technologies or processes, or a combination thereof, whose safety has not been established through these regulations, or which do not have a history of safe use, or food containing ingredients that are being introduced for the first time into the country.

List of Documents for Central FSSAI License

The documents required for the grant of the FSSAI License are prescribed differently for Non-Manufacturing FBO and for Manufacturing FBO. In the table below, we have categories for the list of documents required. Based on the nature of the business, additional documents are needed, and the same are provided separately.

Additional Documents Based on Activities are as follows

	Hotels/Restaurants, Providers of Other Prepared Food Analysis report (Chemical & Bacteriological) of Vending water to be used as an ingredient in food in a Food Establishment, Club/Canteen or any. The report must be from a recognised public health laboratory. It is required to confirm the potability of water used in food. The water analysis report is to bear the date of collecting the sample and the name of the staff member of the Lab who collected the sample (It is applicable where water is used as an ingredient)
	Additional Documents for Importer of Food Items Import Export Code (IEC). An IEC certificate is a document issued by the Director-General of Foreign Trade(DGFT). Recall Pan
	Additional Documents for Merchant Exporter Import Export Code certificate. Declaration that the applicant shall sell the products meant for export in the domestic market. Further, the export products must meet the standards of importing countries.
	E-Commerce Recall Plan
	Transporters List of Vehicle Registration Numbers
	Relabellers and Repackers NOC from Manufacturers
	Dairy Processing Source or procurement plan for milk
	Meat Processing Source of Raw Material and NOC from Municipal Corporation /local body
	Slaughter House NOC from Municipal Corporation/local body
	Nutraceuticals Product Specification of each product mentioning the ingredients as per the applicable Schedule of he alth supplement products and Nutraceutical in the prescribed format.
	Proprietary Foods Composition of each product as per the prescribed format
	Novel Foods Product Approval from FSSAI Hq for each product
	Packaged Drinking Water Pesticide residues report of water for units engaged in manufacturing packaged drinking water, packaged Mineral water and carbonated water. The report must be from a recognised public health laboratory. It is required to confirm the potability of water used in food. The pesticide residue report is to bear the date of collecting the sample, the name of the Lab staff who collected the sample, the Source of raw water and the treatment plan.

Timeline for Grant of FSSAI Central License

The Licensing Authority issues the FSSAI Central License within 60 days of receiving a complete application by an FBO. It includes the time taken in the scrutiny of the application and the inspection of the premises by the concerned authority.

Commencement of Business: The licensing authority for food business shall not prohibit the food business operator from commencing its food business where the licensing authority is unable to grant a Food licence within 60 days from the date of making a complete application, and :

1. Fails to point out the defect in the application or
2. No clarification is asked after inspection of the food unit by the food officer

“The above provision of commencement of Food business without grant of licence is to curb the delay tactics of the concerned Licensing Authority without any valid reason.”

Validity of FSSAI Central License

A Food Central license granted under these Regulations shall be valid for a period of 1 to 5 years, as opted by the Food Business Operator at the time of making an application, unless cancelled or suspended. The validity period of the licence is counted from the date of issue of the licence. It can be renewed for a further period of five years, subject to the remittance of the fee applicable for the period.

It is on the FBO to decide the tenure for which they require the central license. The Government Fee for FSSAI Central License shall be Rs 7500 for each year.

Renewal of FSSAI License

FBO shall make an application to renew a license granted under these Regulations not later than 30 days before the expiry date indicated in the License. An applicant can file a renewal application 120 days in advance. The License shall continue to be in force till the disposal of the renewal application. Further, the licensing authorities must decide the renewal within 30 days of the expiry of the licence.

The designated officers may order an inspection before renewal if considered necessary for reasons to be recorded in writing. No inspection is required if the Food Business Operator has a valid certificate from an agency accredited by the Food Authority, an accredited food safety auditor, or any other organisation notified by FSSAI.

If the renewal application is not made within the validity period, the licence shall expire, & the Food Business Operator shall stop all business activity at the premises. The Food Business Operator will have to apply for a new license if it wants to restart it.

Overall Cost for FSSAI Central License

Professional Fee: We offer our services for the grant of the Central License at a very reasonable fee of Rs. 11,999/- Only. There would be a GST@18% on this amount. The scope of our services is comprehensive advisory, preparation and filing of the application with the FSSAI office, and regular follow-up.

Government Fee: The government fee payable for the FSSAI Central License is Rs. 7500/- for each year, and it is the same for all kinds of applicants. As the license may be obtained for up to five years, the government fee is calculated in multiples of the number of years. For example, if the license is for one year, the government fee shall be Rs. 7500/-. Similarly, the fee payable for a 3-year license shall be Rs. 22,500/- ( Rs. 7500 X 3 Years). Below is the table of different government fees payable for a state license based on the business activities.

Penalty for Non-Compliance

A food licence is mandatory before the start of the food business. A food business operator carrying on a food business without a valid licence may be levied a fine of up to Rs 10 lacs or an imprisonment of six months. Still, in some cases where the grievous injury is caused due to unsafe food provided by the FBO, the imprisonment could exceed 6 years. Further, if the FBO is found guilty under this Act, all the directors /Partners/managers/secretaries of the FBO shall also be liable to be proceeded against and punished under this Act. Thus, the FBO must procure the required Registration or licence before starting the food business and comply with the conditions imposed therein.

FSSAI Annual Return

Every FSSAI-licensed FBO involved in the Manufacturing and Importing of Food Products, including those engaged in the manufacturing of Milk and Milk Products, shall furnish online periodic annual returns with effect from FY 2020-21 as per the notification dated 18th Dec 2020.

The returns shall be submitted online on the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) not beyond 31st May for each year. Every licensee shall file a separate return for each License, i.e. for each food unit. It is immaterial that the same Food Business Operator holds more than one License. Any delay in filing a return beyond 31st May of each year shall attract a penalty of Rs 100 per day of delay.

Exemption From Annual Return under FSSAI

• Food Business Operators (FBOs), including Petty Food Business Operators holding an FSSAI Registration Certificate, are not required to submit annual returns.
• Presently, the provision of annual return submission is not applicable for other kinds of Businesses (Such as distributors, wholesalers, retailers, Storage, transporters and Food Services, etc).

Frequently Asked Questions