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Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
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Introduction to FSSAI
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (India)
This act establishes the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and regulates food safety and standards in India. FSSAI registration is mandated under this act for businesses involved in activities like manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, distribution, and sale of food items.
Establishment of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- The Central Government established the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) through a notification to enforce this Act. This body has the power to carry out the functions and exercise the authorities assigned to it under this Act.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, consolidating various acts and orders that previously handled food-related issues in various Ministries and Departments. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, is the administrative ministry for FSSAI.
- The FSSAI is a permanent legal entity with its own seal. It can acquire, hold, and sell property (both movable and immovable) and enter into contracts. Additionally, it can sue or be sued under the name 'Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.'
- The Chairperson and the Chief Executive Officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are appointed by the Government of India. The FSSAI headquarters are at FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi – 110 002. The Authority has offices across India in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Lucknow, and Chandigarh.
Features of the FSSAI Act
- Single Line of Command: Movement from multi-level and multi-department control to a centralised FSSAI, acting as the single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards, regulations, and enforcement.
- Integrated Response: Addressing strategic issues like novel foods, health foods, nutraceuticals, GM foods, and international trade through a unified approach.
- Decentralised Licensing: Streamlining licensing procedures for food product manufacturing.
- Enhanced Consumer Confidence: Building a high degree of consumer trust in the quality and safety of food.
- State Enforcement: Enforcement of the legislation by State Governments/UTs through designated officials like the State Commissioner for Food Safety, their officers, and Panchayati Raj/Municipal bodies.
- Shift to Self-Compliance: Encouraging a gradual move from a purely regulatory regime towards self-compliance through robust food safety management systems.
- International Alignment: Ensuring consistency between domestic and international food policy measures while maintaining public health and consumer protection safeguards.
- Consumer Awareness: Promoting adequate information dissemination on food empowers consumers to make informed choices.
- Expedited Case Resolution: Empower FSSAI with compounding and adjudicating cases to reduce court workload and expedite disposal.
- Graded Penalties: Implementing a system of graded penalties based on the severity of offences.
The Integrated Acts of FSSAI 2006
Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
Fruit Products Order,
1955
Meat Food Products Order, 1973
Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947
Edible OIls Packaging (Regulation) Order, 1998
Solvent Extracted Oil, De-oilded Meal, & Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967
Any other order under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 relating to food
Get insights on various food laws implemented by the FSSAI, which supervises food standards across India. Know more about the food laws and compulsory food standards in India.
Understand FSSAI’s role in Food safety, regulatory framework, and Food licensing process in detail. Gain clarity over the efforts on practices for increasing food safety through research and quality assurance. Know more about the standard regulations and Hygiene practices.
Get insights on FSSAI certification for food business owners, different certification types, and the process to apply through the FoSCoS portal. Gain clarity on Licensing, product approval and export certification process.
Know in detail about FSSAI compliance for FBOs. Get updated information on the requirements for compliance, inspection, enforcement, food testing and the consequences of failing to comply.
Understand the role of FSSAI in maintaining public health, its benefits, and its initiatives related to public health campaigns. Gain clarity on FSSAI’s collaborative efforts to improve public health, nutrition and steps to avoid Foodborne Illness.
Get to know in detail about FSSAI training and awareness programs for staff and employees, FoSTaC training modules, eligibility and its effort towards increasing consumer awareness and Surveillance training.
Get a clear framework for FSSAI food categories, the listing of food products, and their FSSR numbers. Know the quality requirements and licensing criteria for food categories like organic, GM foods, dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, edible oils, and confectionery.
Understand the classification of different food business types under FSSAI, their licensing, registration requirements, quality standards, and regulatory requirements for street food, catering services, restaurants, school canteens, food chains, e-commerce food businesses, cloud kitchens, importers, exporters, and manufacturers.
FSSAI Regulatory Framework
FSSAI's framework ensures close cooperation and coordination between the central government (represented by the Food Authority), state governments (represented by the State Food Safety Authorities), and other stakeholders in the food industry. This collaborative approach fosters a shared commitment to food safety and facilitates the establishment of a network of scientific bodies to guide decision-making on complex scientific issues.
Scientific Committee
Composed of heads of Scientific Panels and additional independent scientific experts, this Committee provides scientific advice on multi-sectoral and cross-cutting food safety concerns.
Scientific Panels
16 specialized Scientific Panels are covering various aspects of food safety, including:
Food Additives
Pesticide Residues
Genetically Modified (GM) Food
Biological Hazards
Food Labeling
Functional Foods
Methods of Food Sampling
Contaminants in Food
Fish & Fishery Products
Milk & Milk Products
Meat & Meat Products (including Poultry)
Cereals, Pulses & Legumes and their products (including Bakery)
Fruits & Vegetables and their products (including Dried Fruits and Nuts)
Salt, Spices & Condiments
Oils & Fats
Sweets, Confectionery & Sweeteners (including Sugar & Honey)
Water (including flavored water) & Beverages (alcoholic & non-alcoholic)
Protecting Consumers Through FSSAI
The public's well-being is paramount, and a national food safety system exists to ensure it. The food safety regulator plays a critical role in achieving this by:
Ensuring Compliance
Enforcing food safety laws and regulations is their primary responsibility, safeguarding consumers from harm.
Building Public Confidence
Public trust is essential. This requires:
Low Risk Assurance
Demonstrating a low risk of foodborne illness through evidence-based risk assessments.
Effective Monitoring
Implementing robust food monitoring and analysis systems to detect potential problems swiftly.
Transparency
Communicating risk management strategies and actions taken to address any concerns.
Building a Robust Food Safety System
Risk Management
Risk Assessment
Analyzing food risks with transparent, evidence-based methods.
Risk Management Strategies
Developing effective strategies to minimize risks.
Risk Communication
Clearly explaining these strategies to consumers.
Maintaining a Transparent Supply Chain
Supplier Surveillance
Regularly auditing, testing, and inspecting suppliers ensures food safety throughout the chain.
Traceability
Building a comprehensive traceability system allows for efficient problem identification and resolution.
Certification
Supporting due diligence by ensuring suppliers and products are properly certified.
Regulatory Framework
The regulator establishes a strong regulatory framework by:
Setting Standards
Defining standards and guidelines for food products and enforcing them effectively.
Accreditation
Providing a system for accrediting food safety management system certification bodies and food testing laboratories.
Technical Support
Offering scientific advice and technical support to government bodies on food safety and nutrition policy.
Knowledge and Awareness
Data Collection
Gathering data on food consumption, risks, and contaminants is crucial for informed decision-making.
Information Network
Creating an information network ensures rapid, reliable communication of food safety concerns to the public and relevant stakeholders.
Capacity Building
Training Programs
Providing training programs for those involved in the food industry promotes better food safety practices.
Standards Development
Contributing to the development of international food safety standards.
Public Awareness
Food Safety Awareness Campaigns
Promoting general awareness about food safety and standards empowers consumers to make informed choices.
FSSAI: Business Models, Criteria, and Licensing
Central Licence
State Licence
Basic Registration
Business
Central License
State License
Basic Registration
- Petty Food Business Operators
- Annual Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs
- Dairy Units including Milk Chilling Units
- More than 50,000 Liters of Milk per day OR More than 2500 MT of Milk Solid per annum
- 10,001 – 50,000 Liters of Milk per day OR 501 MT – 2500 MT of Milk Solids per annum
- 501 – 10,000 Liters of Milk per day OR 2.5 MT – 500 MT of Milk Solids per annum
- Up to 500 Liters of Milk per day OR Up to 2.5 MT of Milk Solids per annum
- Vegetable Oil Processing Units
- More than 2 MT per day
- 1-2 MT per day
- Below 1 MT per day
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Slaughtering House
- Large Animals: More than 50 Small Animals: More than 150 Poultry Birds: More than 1000
- Large Animals: 3 to 50 Small Animals: 11 to 150 Poultry Birds: 51 to 1000
- Large Animals: 2 Small Animals: 10 Poultry Birds: 50
- Meat Processing
- More than 500 Kg Meat per day OR More than 150 MT Meat per annum
- Up to 500 Kg Meat per day OR Up to 150 MT Meat per annum
- Turnover upto ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- All Food Manufacturing/ Processing Units
- Production Capacity: More than 2 MT per day (No Grains, Cereals or Pulses Milling Units)
- Production Capacity: 101 Kgs/Ltrs – 1 MT per Day (All Grains, Cereals, Pulses Milling units)
- Production Capacity: 1 MT – 2 MT per Day
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum Or Production capacity up to 100 Kgs/Ltrs per day
- Proprietary Food
- No restriction on production capacity
- Food or Health Supplements and Nutraceuticals
- No restriction on production capacity
- Non-specified Food
- No restriction on production capacity
- Radiation processing of food
- No restriction on production capacity
- Substances added to Food
- Production Capacity: More than 2 MT per Day
- Production Capacity: Up to 2 MT per Day
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Storage - Cold/Refrigerated
- Storage Capacity: More than 10,000 MT
- Storage Capacity: Up to 10,000 MT
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Storage – Atmospheric Controlled + Cold
- Storage Capacity: More than 1,000 MT
- Storage Capacity: Up to 1,000 MT
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Storage Without Atmospheric Controlled + Cold
- Storage Capacity: More than 50,000 MT
- Storage Capacity: Up to 50,000 MT
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Transporter
- More than 100 Vehicles and Turnover more than ₹30 Crores per annum
- Up to 100 Vehicles and Turnover up to ₹30 Crores per annum
- Single Vehicle and Turnover up to ₹ 12 Lakhs per annum
- Wholesaler
- Turnover more than ₹30 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹30 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Distributor
- Turnover more than ₹20 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹20 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Retailer
- Turnover more than ₹20 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹20 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Hotel
- Five Star and Above
- Three Star and Four Star
- One Star, Two Star, or Unrated
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Restaurants
- Turnover more than ₹20 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹20 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Club/Canteen
- Turnover up to ₹20 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Caterer
- Turnover more than ₹20 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹20 Crores per annum
- Food Vending Agencies
- More than 100 Vending Machines
- Up to 100 Vending Machines in only one State/UT
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum or Up to 12 Vending Machines in only one State/UT
- Exporter
- No limit on Capacity or Turnover
- Mid-day Meal Caterer
- Turnover more than ₹20 Crores per annum
- Turnover up to ₹20 Crores per annum
- Mid-Day Meal Canteen
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Caterers/ Restaurants/Canteens/ Hawkers/ Petty Retailers
- Turnover More than ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- Turnover up to ₹12 Lakhs per annum
- E-Commerce
- No limit on Capacity or Turnover
- Head Office/Registered Office
- No limit on Capacity or Turnover
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary role of FSSAI in India?
How does FSSAI enforce food safety regulations?
What are the key food safety standards set by FSSAI?
How can food businesses obtain an FSSAI license?
What initiatives does FSSAI have for promoting healthy eating?
How does FSSAI engage with consumers?
What role does FSSAI play in international food safety?
How does FSSAI use technology to enhance food safety?
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