Difference between FSSAI Registration & FSSAI License
FSSAI full form is the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) which is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The FSSAI role in food quality is to ensure safety and providing satisfaction to every customer. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) deals in providing the controlling procedures for the same. FSSAI was set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. This organization formulates the measures in order to eliminate the toxic and hazardous elements of the environment. As a resultant of this, every customer receives an equal level of assurance of food safety. The packaging of the product informs about the product quality and in this way, it informs the customer about the safety standards. The manufacturers of food must apply these standards to control food degradation. This is great to attain the confidence of the customer and also keep the food authorities satisfied. All the business activities related to food business in India such as manufacturing, storage, transportation or distribution of food products, are required to apply and secure an FSSAI registration or an FSSAI License. Sometimes people are confused about this as they do not know the difference between FSSAI Registration and FSSAI License.
Types of FSSAI Registration
FSSAI registration or license is based on the business volume and premises. Depending upon the installed capacity or turnover or location, applicant premises are eligible for the license such as basic license, central license, and state
license.
FSSAI Registration
The FSSAI registration is for food business operators (FBOs) who have small-sized businesses or start-ups. FSSAI registration is compulsory for all food businesses that are involved in a petty food business. The Petty food business operator can be any person or entity who fulfills below criteria. They have an annual turnover of less than Rs.12 lakh. Basic registration can be upgraded depends on your business sales graph productivity. In this registration, the document required Form A to be filled. The FSSAI license is issued invalidity for 1 year to 5 years. Before 30 days of the expiry date, the renewal of the FSSAI license should be applied. Since FLRS is an online portal for all this, registration and renewal can be done easily.
FSSAI Registration Requirement
FSSAI Registration is a basic license and it is required for all the FBO involved in the small-scale food business. This category covers the following businesses:
- Any FBO with an annual turnover of not more than Rs. 12 lakh.
- Petty retailer dealing in food products.
- Any person who manufactures or sells any food article by himself.
- Food sale is done by the temporary stall holder.
- Any individual who distributes food in any religious or social gathering except a caterer.
Manufacturers Capacity
- The volume of production of food items (other than milk, milk products, meat and meat products) must be less than 100 kg per day.
- Procurement, handling, and collection of milk is up to 500 Kg per day.
- Slaughtering capacity of FBO must be less than 2 large animals or 10 small animals or 50 poultry birds per day.
FBO who is required to obtain an FSSAI Registration:
| Items / Dealers | Capacity |
| Food capacity (Milk & milk products, meat &
meat products are not allowed) | Less than 100 kg/ltr per day |
| Milk | 500 litres per day |
| Milk solids | 2.5 Metric Ton (MT) per annum |
| Vegetable oil or the process | Turnover of up to 100 kg or ltr per day. |
| Meat processing production | More than 100 kgs per day or 30 MT per day. |
| Slaughtering capacity | Less than 2 large animals or 10 small animals or 50
poultry birds per day |
| Food units other than the above mentioned | 100 ltr/Kg per day |
| Cold storage | Turnover of up to Rs.12 lakhs per annum |
| Wholesalers | The yearly turnover of up to Rs.12 lakhs |
| Retailers | The yearly turnover of up to Rs.12 lakhs |
| Distributors | The yearly turnover of up to Rs.12 lakhs |
| Suppliers | The yearly turnover of up to Rs.12 lakhs |
| Dhaba owners | Rs.12 lakhs turnover per annum |
| Clubs/Canteen | Rs.12 lakhs turnover per annum |
| Hotels/Restaurant | Rs.12 lakhs turnover per annum |
| Transporters | Rs.12 lakhs turnover per annum |
FSSAI License
FSSAI License is of two types as given below-
- Central License for large food business
- State License for medium food business
A Food Business Operator (FBO) is required to obtain the food license upon exceeding a particular turnover. A person/Business unit or entity has to obtain State FSSAI License or Central FSSAI License depends on the size and nature of the business and the licensing authority may change accordingly. Only after submitting the documents required for FSSAI license, the application would be considered by the government authority.
Generally, FBO who are large manufacturers, importers, exporters dealing in large-scale food business need to obtain FSSAI registration from the central government and FBO with small to medium-sized manufacturing units, transporters, marketers, traders, etc., need to take FSSAI registration from the state government. To apply for State License the FBO must have a turnover between Rs 12 lakh to Rs 20 crore.
Other conditions include manufacturing units having a capacity of 2MT per day, dairy units handling business up to 5000 litres per day. 3-star hotels and above, repackers , relabelling units, clubs, canteens all catering business irrespective of their turnover need to apply for the license. The tenure of the license being a maximum of 5 years and a minimum of 1 year.
To apply for a central license the FBO must have a turnover exceeding Rs. 20 crores and needs to have operations in two or more states. All importers and exporters need to apply for this license. The maximum tenure is 5 years and the minimum is 1 year.
Eligible individuals/entity to obtain FSSAI License –
Central License
- Dairy Units producing milk unit of 50000 litres or 2500 megaton milk solid yearly
- Processing Units that produce 2MT of vegetable oil daily
- Slaughter unit with the daily capacity of:
1. 50 large animals
2. 150 small animals
3. 1000 poultry birds
- Meat processing unit with a capacity of 50 KG or 150 megatons daily
- Food processing unit with a daily capacity of 2 megaton
- Export-oriented units
- Units are having a cold storage or refrigerator facility with a storage capacity of 10000 megatons or more.
- Wholesalers engaged in food business having an annual turnover exceeding INR 30 Crore.
- Retailers and distributor engaged in food business having an annual turnover exceeding INR 20 Crore.
- A business engaged in the activities of catering, food serving in restaurants or food marketing with an annual turnover of INR 20 Crore or more.
- Food Catering Services in establishments and units under Central Government Agencies like Defence, etc
- Storage , wholesaler, retailer, distributor – Premises in Central Government Agencies
- Food Catering Services in Establishments and units under Central Government Agencies Like and Airport, seaport, etc (Storage, Wholesaler, retailer, distributor premised at seaport locations)
State license
- Food business operators with an annual turnover of within Rs. 12 lakhs to up to Rs. 20 crores.
- Proprietary foods
- Production and processing units of vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller unit. With an annual turnover within Rs. 12 lacs to Rs. 20 crores.
- Hotels of 4-star ratings or less
- Dairy Units including milk chilling units, with a daily limit to handle or process, among 500 to 50000 lit
- Storages having a capacity of less than 50,000 metric tons yearly.
- A daily slaughtering capacity of more than 2 and up to 50 large animals. Or the capacity of handling more than 10 and up to 150 small animals. Or daily capacity of more than 50 to up to 1000 poultry birds.
- All food processing units including re-packers, with a daily capacity of not less than 100 kg/liters to up to 2 metric tons.
Steps to Obtain FSSAI License
- To obtain the FSSAI Central License the Food Business Operator shall make an application to the Licensing Authority.
- This application is made in Form B.
- The application should be annexed with self-declaration, affidavit, and Annexure as applicable.
- This license is granted for a period of 1 to 5 years as the time limit requested by the food business operator.
- Higher the period for which license is obtained the higher would be the application fees.
- The license can be renewed by making an application.
- The application for renewal should be made not later than 30 days prior to the expiry of the FSSAI License.
Penalty for Non- Compliance
Listed is the penalty for various type of non-compliance:
| Sl.No | Particulars | Fine |
| 1 | Food quality not in compliance with act | 2 Lakh Petty manufacturer – 25,000/- |
| 2 | Sub-standard food | 5 Lakh |
| 3 | Misbranded Food | 3 Lakh |
| 4 | Misleading advertisement or false description | 10 Lakh |
| 5 | Extraneous matter in food | 1 Lakh |
| 6 | Failure to comply with Food safety officer direction | 2 Lakh |
| 7 | Unhygienic processing or manufacture | 1 Lakh |
