Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, abbreviated as the FSSAI is backed up by the Food Safety and Security Act of 2006 and is responsible for creating standards for healthy and consumable food products. Additionally, the Food Authority of India helps with regulations relating to the storage, production, distribution, and sales of food products deemed safe to consume for the buyers of these items. Besides, the food regulatory body also ensures that the food products are unadulterated and free from impurities.
Some rules have to be followed by companies that are working through getting an FSSAI registration number. The FSSAI does not entertain the sale of sub-standard and impure ingredients. All institutions dispensing or producing food products have to undergo FSSAI’s standard test and are marked with TelePhone FSSAI logo for safe consumption. Restaurants are also instructed to display their FSSAI license to assure customers of safe food handling practices. Therefore, Food Business Owners (FBOs) must acquire the FSSAI license no matter the scale of their operation.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched ‘Verified Milk Vendors Scheme’ in Gujarat. It aimed at addressing the issues of quality and safety in raw milk supplied directly to consumers by unorganised milk vendors. Under the scheme, all unorganised milk producers and vendors in Gujarat were issued identity cards by taking their registration details and providing them with some regularity in the work that they handle. Based on the Gujarat experience, the FSSAI planned on rolling out similar schemes nationwide.
To complete the Food licence registration, applicants can apply through the website or their office. There are three registration categories, and the business has to go through the right one, depending on the scale of their business and their annual turnover.
For the first two categories, establishments with annual turnovers up to 20 lacs or up to 20 crores can get themselves registered through the office in their state. However, if they have branches across the country and they have a turnover above 20 crores, they should get registered through the FSSAI head office in Delhi.
The process for registering companies might be quite challenging since there are a lot of requirements, multiple application forms, and the immense following up. The best way to go about the process is to get it done by someone who has done it before. Multiple agencies assist with this process and even handle the back and forth. Further, there is a website that has all the information about the process which they use to assist first-time applicants. These are the same websites that assist with licence renewals. If there are errors with the licence, or if the establishment needs another FSSAI licence to work n a different vertical.
All the information about the establishment should be given to the FSSAI, especially if there were changes made later on. For instance, if a restaurant started transportation or chain of packaged meat that they are selling, this should be conveyed to the right department so changes can be made to the FSSAI licence.