How to Obtain a FoSCos FSSAI License in India?

The Food Safety and Security Authority of India offers FSSAI licenses to the FBOs (Food Business Operators) for their food products that certify that the products are safe, qualitative, and hygienic. You can apply offline by filling out the specific forms, but online application submission is easy and less time-consuming. FoSCos (Food Safety Compliance System) web portal manages the online procedures and issues the license in India. You will get the link for submitting the application on the FoSCos FSSAI portal.

What is FoSCos FSSAI license in India?

FoSCos stands for Food Safety Compliance System. This portal issues FSSAI licenses to the FBOs on successful applications. According to the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2011, the FSSAI license is a mandatory document for businesses involved in any type of food business, such as food manufacturing, packaging, processing, and storage of food products. This license is the proof of compliance of all FBOs regarding their food business in India. This is one of the primary prerequisites for getting other licenses and permissions and getting an import and export code for the food business, as well. Consumers can also consume food without any hesitation. They can build confidence that the consumed food is safe and free from contamination. So, avail a FoSCos FSSAI License or registration certificate by applying on the portal.

FSSAI license is a 14-digit number that you have to show on the package of food. This helps build a reliable consumer base remarkably.

Types of FoSCos FSSAI License in India:

FSSAI licenses are of three types: 

1. Basic FSSAI Registration
2. State FSSAI License
3. Central FSSAI License 

You can get FSSAI basic, State, and Central licenses as per your application or specific business criteria. Petty food business operators get basic licenses, medium FBOs need to apply for state licenses and the large food business operators require a central FSSAI license. To get food business compliance, you must require an FSSAI license.

Explanation of FSSAI License Application Types:

1. FSSAI Basic Registration

Any individual or food business with an annual turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh has to register for an FSSAI basic license. Any food business entity, like the food industry, retailers, manufacturers, storage and transport operators, or food product distributors, must obtain the food license of this category to meet the business compliance of this category. 

The Glimpse Of Businesses That Mandates FSSAI Basic Registration:

• Cottage food industries, small-scale food businesses and distributors, and any food business with an annual turnover of less than Rs. 12 lakh.  
• All food manufacturers, which include vendors, petty hawkers, and street stall proprietors
• All medical stores, or food supplement sellers with this turnover require a basic FSSAI license.
• The collection of milk, handling, and procurement limited to 500 liters 
• The butchery shop where the slaughter does not exceed 2 large animals, 10 small animals, or 50 poultry requires an FSSAI basic license registered from FoSCos FSSAI that costs Rs. 100 per year.

2. FSSAI State License

• A food business with an annual turnover between Rs. 12 lakh and Rs. 20 crores requires FSSAI state registration. 
• Milk procurement or dealing of 501 to 10,000 LPD or processing milk solid of 2.5 to 500 MT requires a state FSSAI license with a lower fee category (Rs. 3,000/year).
• The milk business with 10,001 to 50,000 liters per day, or 501 MT to 2500 MT requires a state FSSAI license with a higher fee of Rs 5,000 per year.  
• The food-serving industry or hotel industry with a 4-star category needs a FoSCos FSSAI license, and the annual charges would be Rs. 5000/-
• The hotel industry with 0 to 3 stars has to register a state license with annual charges of Rs. 2,000/-. However, turnover below 12 lakh per annum requires a basic license of Rs. 100 per year.
• Poultry units where animals are slaughtered need state licenses, where large animals would be 3 to 50, and small animals, from 11 to 150 poultry birds, require acquiring state licenses from FoSCos FSSAI in India. The annual cost of a license is Rs. 2000/-.
• Vegetable oil processing units where that produce up to 2 MT daily and exceed the annual turnover of Rs. 12 lakh require a FoSCos FSSAI State License in India. 
• Cold Storage Facilities where they can store up to 1000 MT of food require an FSSAI state license
• Wholesalers with a turnover of less than Rs. 30 crore require a state FSSAI license. They have to pay Rs. 2,000/- per year. 
• Distributors and retailers with a turnover of less than Rs. 20 crores per annum require an FSSAI State License.

3. FSSAI Central License

• Businesses crossing an annual turnover of Rs. 20 crores require a Central FSSAI license from the FoSCos FSSAI website. The link to the page is “https://foscos.fssai.gov.in/”. Visit the page and get the entire details of how to do it. 
• During the FSSAI license acquisition or its renewals, the businessperson is required to pay Rs. 7,500 annually. The license is valid for 5 years, but you can renew for one year to 5 years, as per your requirement. 
• The business person needs to apply for a central FSSAI license for the following category: (Described in short)
• Any dairy company procuring, collecting, or distributing more than 50,000 LPD or dealing with 2,500 metric tons of milk solids annually. 
• Import and export of food products with no limit of turnover need a central FoSCos FSSAI license.
• Slaughtering Units involving more than 50 large animals per day, 150 small animals, or 1000 poultry birds in a day require an FSSAI Central license.
• Meat processing units that deal with more than 500 Kg per day.
• If any oil processing company delivers or deals with more than 2 MT daily needs to have a FoSCos FSSAI central license.
• Any cold storage unit having a capacity of 1000 MT or more requires a FoSCos central license.
• Wholesalers with a yearly turnover of more than Rs. 30 crores need to acquire central licenses for their compliance.
• Retailers and distributors who deal with more than Rs. 20 crores are required to file for an FSSAI central license.
• Restaurants exceeding more than 20 crores per annum need to have this certificate or license. 
• All five-star rated hotels are required to have a central food license.
• The area that falls under the authority of the central government requires central food businesses to comply with an FSSAI license from the Food Safety and Security Authority of India.
• Food catering service providers for any defense establishment. 
• Railway stations, airports, and other places that fall under the central government authority require a central FSSAI license if someone wants to set up a food stall. 
• The food operators spreading and managing business in multiple states in India require this license.
• You must be clear about the fact that basic FSSAI certification is called FSSAI registration. On the other hand, a state or central FSSAI certification is called an FSSAI license.

You can avail of the complete list of categories of businesses that require FSSAI registration or licenses and their charges from the following link. Download pdf here. 

Procedure to Obtain a FoSCos FSSAI License Online: 

As soon as digital India starts, the Indian government has launched online portals for serving people of the country digitally. So, online application filing has started. This has also been started to obtain an FSSAI license for all categories. The previous online platform for getting an FSSAI license was the Food Licensing and Registration System (FLRS). However, the modified and recent web portal for the licenses is FoSCos.fssai.gov.in. This website works across the country (pan India). The procedure to apply for an FSSAI license is described here. 

Step-1: Decision Making

You have to determine which type of application you are about to submit. Consider your business category, turnover per year, and the location of your business. You also have to consider whether you deal in the export-import business. Hence, it is a matter of fact to choose the category. Then, choose basic FSSAI registration, state FSSAI license, or central FSSAI license.

Step 2: Visit FoSCos FSSAI Portal (link below)

You have to visit the FoSCos FSSAI portal this time. Then, you will get an option vivid on the front page, “Apply for New License / Registration”. Click on it if you want to register or obtain a license. 

Then, you will get “Where is the premise of operation?” after clicking on it. The options are “General”, “Railway Station” and “Airport or Seaport”. Click on the type of location where you want to start. 

You will be taken to the other page where you can learn the details of documentation, additional information addition section, annual income selection option, importer or exporter, and more. Follow the procedure applicable for the specific FoSCos FSSAI registration or license.

Step 3: Form Filling Out

You know there are three types of FSSAI registrations or licenses. For FSSAI Basic registration, you have to fill out FORM-A, and for both State and Central Licenses, you have to fill out FORM B.

Step-4: Documentations

During the filling out of the form and its submission, you have to keep the required documents handy with their scanned JPG formally or as required. Keep in mind the file size for all documents mentioned on the website.

The required documents for FoSCos Registration and license are:

The common documents required for all types of FSSAI applications are:

• Applicants/businessperson’s Photograph
• AADHAAR, Voter ID, PAN, Passport, or any other photo IP issued by the Government of India.
• Proof of Address, if the business address is other than the residential or addresses mentioned on the photo ID card.

FoSCos FSSAI Basic Registration documents:

The following specific documents are essential for obtaining an FSSAI registration certificate. Let’s Note:

• Any photo identity proof of the FBO
• Partnership deed, incorporation certificate, business constitution certificate, shop establishment license, and other business registration certificate, if there is any. 
• Business possession premises lease or permission certificate, in case it is not the FBOs own property and the same address of the ID proof submitted. NOC from the lease authority in case it is rented or leased.
• The plan of the entire safety management plan for food manufacturing selling or preservation.
• The list of food products processed, stored, or manufactured.
• The detailed information of your bank account.
• NOC from the panchayat, municipality, or health office NOC or copy of manufacturer’s license. (If applicable)

These are the common documents that you have to carry with you for all sorts of FSSAI registrations and licenses. Still, the following documents are essential for filing FSSAI state and central licenses. Here are the documents that you require for the FSSAI state license.

State FSSAI License Documents:

• Perfectly filled out Form B with signature
• The food processing unit, storage space plans, dimensions, operational details, healthy environment maintenance guidelines, etc.
• List of partners, directors, and proprietors, along with their photo ID, contact details, and addresses.
• The list of machinery and other equipment and their numbers are essential
• Nominated manufacturer, authority letter, and the FSSAI license of the manufacturing company in case, you are a storing, distributing, or dealership partner. 
• The way to transport and the entire details of the process of hygiene maintenance are essential to mention
• Product portability instructions if you are a manufacturer
• Submission of the copy of the certificate received from Multi-State Coop Act 2002 or Coop Act 1861

FSSAI Central License

Apart from the general documents, you should keep the following documents in hand to file an application for the FSSAI Central License.

• Perfectly filled out Form B with an authorized signature
• Plan of the processing unit, storing unit and their dimensions, and the plans for operation-wise allocated area
• The list of Proprietors, partners, or directors along with their contact details, addresses, and photo ID proof
• The names and lists of used machinery, equipment, and their numbers
• The capacity of production or storage and the average production or storage details
• An authority letter from the manufacturer for this nominated responsible person, his official name, address, and contact details.
• If water is used, the authority has to submit an analytic report of the water for specific food production.
• Mentioned for the source of raw materials like milk, chocolate, meat, or any other ingredients
• Mention the recall plans in case of complaints from the users
• Mention the Export Oriented Units (EOU) for Foreign Trade Policy (FTP).
• IEC if there is any
• Submission of form IX, the company nominated people resolution taken by the board.
• Certification from the Ministry of Tourism-(if required)
• Transaction, turnover, and transportation-related documents
• The declaration form by the head of the department of the company

You have to keep in mind that not all documents are essential for all types of food businesses. The experts will confirm which document is mandatory for your business while submitting FSSAI certification.

After filling out the form perfectly, you have to submit it with the required documents requested by the FoSCos FSSAI portal. Once successfully applied, you can wait for the license or registration that you have applied for. However, you will get an Application Reference Number. Keep it handy to check the application status after a few days.

The Internal Process followed by the FoSCos Authority

• The application for FSSAI registration can be accepted or rejected by the FoSCos department. You will get the report within 7 days of your application. They may send the report physically or through an online portal notification. If the application is rejected, the department will send the applicant a written notice.
• The primary job they will do is that they will scrutinize the entire document and observe the application minutely.
• The FSSAI department may arrange an inspection of the place of business or food preparation center as the case may be. After physical observation and measuring the quality of the food, related business, possibility of maintaining quality, adulteration, etc., they grant FSSAI registration or license.
• If the FBOs and their business meet all the required criteria, the dedicated officer of the FSSAI department will grant an FSSAI registration certificate along with the 14-digit registration number. The applicant can also download the FSSAI registration certificate from the FoSCos web portal after logging in with credentials.
• As soon as the FBOs get the FSSAI license number, they can display the logo and the number on the food package. It will increase the credibility of the business and the customers will reply to the business. A simple license number of FSSAI issued by the FoSCos department will help compete with the reputed and established brands as well.
• During business hours, every FBO should display the FSSAI logo and license number openly to the customers during operational hours. On the other hand, the companies prepare packaged food, dry fruits, and other edible things, FSSAI logo and its number.

Eligibility Criteria for FoSCos FSSAI Application 

Usually, food businesses that desire to grow in their respective field can apply for FSSAI registration and licenses. Still, there are some eligibility criteria for it. The food businesses that do not cross the annual turnover of 12 lakh, need not apply for FSSAI registration. However, some other criteria are mentioned in short under the section of The “Glimpse of Businesses That Mandates FSSAI” beforehand. Download the pdf to learn the complete eligibility criteria for basic FSSAI registration or State and Central Licenses. Download Here.

The Cost of FSSAI License

While submitting the form for an FSSAI license, the FBOs have to pay some specific registration fees. The registration fees for FSSAI registration or license are mentioned below:

FSSAI Registration Status

Step-1:

After submission of your FSSAI registration or license, you will be notified via SMS and/or email. You can visit FoSCos official website and click on the option, “Track Application”, or visit directly to the link provided, “https://foscos.fssai.gov.in/view-application” to learn the status of your application. When you click on the link, you will get a page where the site will ask for the Application Reference Number (ARN). After submitting the ARN, you will get the niche to fill out with a captcha code. Then, click on submit. On the right side of this form, you will get a QR code to scan for downloading the Android and iOS applications.

Step-2:

The ARN is a 17-digit number that you have to put in the perfect niche. After filling out all niches, click on submit to learn the status. This status may be rejected, canceled, Reversed, insufficient document, accepted/approved, and many other forms. In this way, you will learn what to do next or there is nothing to do. If your application for FoSCos FSSAI registration or license is approved, you will get “Approved” on the status. “Approved” means that you are about to get the desired license/registration certificate very soon.

If you get the status, “Registration Certificate Issued” or “FSSAI License Issued”, you will get the desired license or Registration Certificate.

Once the FSSAI registration or license is issued from FoSCos FSSAI, you can download it from the portal after successfully logging in. You will get a dashboard in your profile section where you will find the download option of your certificate. After downloading it as a PDF or printing it directly, you can use it for displaying on your food distributing center packaged or stored food center. Your license should also be printed on the packaged food to enhance the reliability, safety, hygiene, and health of the food.

FoSCos FSSAI License for Cloud Kitchen

The cloud kitchen is the modern idea of food preparation and delivery. Cloud kitchens are also known as ghost kitchens or dark kitchens. Cloud kitchens are commercial kitchens where food is prepared only for sale. Some delivery agents deliver it to the doorsteps of the customers. Here the food order is taken online, and delivery happens in a scheduled time. It may not have a physical store to show and prepare food to eat. A cloud kitchen may be in a residential house or anywhere. These kitchens are pledged to reach the doorsteps of customers.

Does a cloud kitchen require an FSSAI license?

Yes, a cloud kitchen requires FSSAI registration or license if its annual turnover exceeds in accordance with the previously mentioned way. So, they may apply for FoSCos FSSAI basic registration, FSSAI state license, and FSSAI central license- as the case may be.

How Will a Cloud Kitchen Apply for FSSAI Registration/License?

There are no differences between other food business FSSAI registrations and cloud kitchen FSSAI licenses or registrations. Apply with the regular documentation. Depending on your application type (Registration/license) you have to submit fees and documents. The rest of the process for the FSSAI registration or getting a license will remain the same as described before.

Benefits of Procuring FSSAI Food License

Obtaining a license can provide the food business with legal benefits, build goodwill, ensure food safety, create consumer awareness, and assist in business expansion. Also, it helps regulate, manufacture, store, distribute, and sell imported food. It is easy to obtain funds from investors when an FBO has FSSAI registration.

Consequences of Noncompliance with FSSAI

Once a food business company is licensed under FSSAI has to maintain the rules and restrictions of the FSS Act, 2011. The authority of FSSAI may verify whether the food quality, samples, accommodations, and area mentioned during the application are genuine or untampered. Otherwise, they may cancel your registration at any time or may send a correcting notice. On the other hand, if any consumer complains about the food quality, packaged food quality, preservation, use of color, or any other thing, or breaks the health or hygiene of anybody, the FSSAI license or registration may get canceled. Usually, the notice is sent by the officer of FoSCos FSSAI to the FBO if there is any issue with their food or the other terms of FSSAI terms compliance.

After observation, the officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India issues a notice to the FBO with some special marks, namely, C, NC, PC, and NA. Just follow the meaning of them:

• Not applicable/Not observed (NA)
• Partial compliance (PC)
• Non-compliance (NC)
• Compliance (C)

Explanations:

Not applicable/Not observed (NA)

The FoSCos officers did not observe the food till the day or the terms are not applicable for now.

Partial compliance (PC)

The FBOs that are not completely complying with the terms and conditions of FoSCos FSSAI rules implemented through FSS ACT 2011. However, a part of the terms are maintained but the other part is not.

Noncompliance (NC)

This observation of the FoSCos officer means that the terms of FoSCos do not comply with the business of FBOs. So, they may face a server penalty for their business. So, the FSSAI license may be removed from them. This consequence may create an issue to get another FSSAI license in support of their food business.

Compliance (C)

If any FBO gets a compliance certificate after observation, they can surely continue the business without any hazard. Every FBO should have an FSSAI compliance certificate each time they get audited.

Penalties and punishments for Non-Compliance

The validity of the FSSAI license

FSSAI registration or license is valid from 1 year to 5 years. So, you need to renew after a specific time.

Renewal of FSSAI License

The FSSAI license is essential to renew after the validity period. Hence, to continue the service spontaneously, you have to apply for renewal of the license before 30 days of expiration.

Here, you learned the details of FoSCos FSSAI registration and the license-obtaining process. You have learned who is eligible to apply for the FSSAI registration and the cost related to the application. On the other hand, you have learned the penalties that are linked to noncompliance or violation of the Food Safety and Security Act. But how will you apply to the FoSCos portal- yourself? You can do it, but Online Legal India has a large team of experienced professionals who will guide you and file your application to the FoSCos FSSAI portal. Contact them and file your FSSAI application now.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

1. How can I download the FSSAI registration certificate or license?

You have to log in to the FoSCos portal with the specific ID and password of the FBOs. If you want to download the license or certificate, you will notice an option to download your approved certificate or license on the user dashboard. 

As soon as you get the Certificate Issued option, you have to click on it. You will also get a 14-digit FSSAI registration number. Click on it to view the FSSAI certificate. Download it in PDF format by clicking on it.

2. What is FSSAI registration and FSSAI License?

If any food business applies for a basic food license to FoSCos FSSAI in India, they are provided with an FSSAI Registration Certificate. Usually, the business turnover of these businesses is less than 12 lakh per annum. 

On the other hand, when any business applies for FSSAI state or central certificate, they are provided FSSAI licenses. 

In a word, FSSAI certificates are usually three types with two different names: Basic FSSAI Registration and FSSAI license (for state and central). 

3. Which details I will get on the FSSAI registration certificate/license?

FSSAI registration or license contains the following:

• Name and registered office address 
• Address of authorized premises 
• Whether it is a dairy business and its details, if yes
• Category of license
• Validity period 
• Renewal date

4. What is the validity period of FSSAI registration/license in India?

The validity of FSSAI registration or license may range from 1 to 5 years as the FBO chooses to apply. When you renew it, you can also choose the next validity of the registration certificate.

5. How will I register license or registration after expiry?

You should better apply for FSSAI registration/ license before 30 days of expiry. If you miss