FSSAI is India’s Food Regulatory Authority. It monitors the manufacturing, sale and distribution of food products in India and inspects the premises to check whether it maintains safety and quality standards or not. They cannot operate without FSSAI registration and FSSAI only grants a registration after a thorough inspection of the premises. So if you are doing any kind of manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, import of food or providing any kind of food service, you need to register on the FoSCoS which is the new licensing portal of FSSAI. Let’s discuss the required documents and the process of FoSCoS FSSAI Registration through FaSCoS.

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Who Needs FSSAI Registration or Licence?

FSSAI, the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India, has classified food businesses into two categories. There are Petty Food Businesses that need to get FSSAI Registration and on the other hand, there are the remaining Food Businesses that do not fall under the category of Petty Food Businesses. These food businesses need to obtain an FSSAI Licence from the FaSCoS portal. Businesses can avail of both of these documents through the same registration and licencing portal of FSSAI.

FSSAI Registration and Licensing Portal - FoSCoS

Previously, FSSAI was using the FLRS which stands for FSSAI Licensing and Registration System. But due to the technical limitations of this portal, FSSAI launched an updated licensing and registration system - FoSCoS in March 2020. FoSCoS is the abbreviation for Food Safety Compliance System. It was imperative to shift to a newer version of licensing portal as the older counterpart was causing issues regarding the speed of processing. The newer system provides a user-friendly interface that also has a scalable architecture. The FSSAI is also planning to utilise the potential of this scalability feature by making more integrations and transforming this licensing platform into a unified compliance platform.

Read Our Blog: FoSCoS Fssai License

Documents for FoSCoS Registration and Licence

The Food Business Operators (FBOs) need the following documents to obtain FoSCoS FSSAI Registration if their annual turnover is below the cap of 12 lakhs and if the turnover is more than 12 lakhs then they need these documents to obtain FoSCoS Licence-

For FSSAI Registration Certificate

Petty Food Business Operators need the following documents to submit along with the application for FSSAI Registration on the FoSCoS licensing system-

• Photograph
• Identity Proof
• Business Address Proof

Out of these documents, business address proof is necessary only if the location of the business activity is different than the address mentioned in the Identity Proof. Otherwise, the Photo Identity Proof is sufficient.

For Food Business FSSAI Licence

Food Business Operators that have an annual turnover of more than Rs. 12 lakh per annum need to get the licence. Along with the application for the grant of a licence, they need to submit the following documents-

• List of Directors or Partners with full address and contact details and the nomination of authorised signatory (On Company Letterhead)
• Photo ID and Address Proof of Authorised Signatory
• Proof of Possession of Premises
• Self Declaration, Partnership Deed, MoA, AoA, Cooperatives Certificate (As Applicable)
• Form IX under rule 2.5 of FSS Rules (On Company Letterhead)

As proof of possession of premises, you can submit the rent agreement, sale deed, electricity bill etc. Form IX is for the nomination of branch heads when a company is having more than one branch or unit. It is not applicable to the proprietors. The food business operators, involved in manufacturing and processing, need the following documents in addition to the above-mentioned documents-

• Layout Plan of the Processing Unit
• Photographs of the Production Unit
• List of Equipment and Machinery
• Analysis Report of Water as an Ingredient
• Recall Plan on the Company Letterhead

The water report is not applicable if the production or processing does not use water. The list of equipment should contain the number, capacity and horsepower. The Layout plant should also include the dimensions in metres and operation-wise area allocation.

Apart from the mentioned documents, you may also need to share some specific details based on your kind of business like NOC for Relabellers, Repackers, Import Export Code (IEC) for importers, Vehicle Registration Numbers for Transporters etc.

Process for FoSCoS FSSAI Licence and Registration Application

The Food Business Operators need to submit the application for the grant of a Registration Certificate or the Food Business Licence through the FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System) as per the applicability. They can use the following process to apply for the same-

• You need to open the FoSCoS FSSAI web portal in a web browser (foscos.fssai.gov.in).
• Click on the ‘Licence/Registration’ tab on the home screen and choose ‘Apply for New Licence/Registration’ if you want to get a fresh licence.
• It will ask for your premise location and you need to choose from three options - General, Railway Station, and Airport or Seaport.
• You can accordingly choose the option and move on to the next screen.
• On this screen, you need to select the relevant State or other options from the drop-down menu based on your previous selection.
• After choosing the state, you need to select the exact category in which your business is dealing. You have multiple tabs of categories, drop-downs of sub-categories and options to select your turnover.
• On this screen select the appropriate option and click ‘Proceed’. It will take you to the next screen where you can see which certificate you need for your business.
• Then again click on the ‘Proceed’ button and that will open the respective application form.

1. The application form for the registration certificate is quite straightforward where you only need to enter personal, and business details along with the food items for the manufacturing or sale.
2. The application form for State and Central Licences requires you to enter details of the business premises, selected products, communication details, and required documents in different steps. In the final step, you need to pay the fee and it will submit the application.

• Make sure to not make any mistake while entering the personal or premises details as the same details will be printed on your licence.

After receiving your application, FSSAI will scrutinize the documents. It can also visit and inspect the premises if necessary. If everything goes fine, the licence or registration certificate is issued to the applicant through the FoSCoS portal.

How to Receive the Licence or Registration Certificate?

FSSAI does not send a copy of the issued licence or the registration certificate physically to the applicant. The only way to get a copy of it is through the FoSCoS FSSAI Portal or the registered email. The Food Business Operator can download his licence from the FoSCoS dashboard after logging into his account. Alternatively, you can also obtain the licence or registration certificate from the email as you receive it at your registered email address at the time of issuance.

Conclusion

FSSAI is regularly working to ensure that the licensing procedure is simpler and rational. The new processes are more clear and easier which helps the nation to rank higher on the ease of doing business index. The new enhanced licensing portal of FSSAI, the FoSCoS will help to provide faster services to the Food Business Operators across the country. Not just the procedure but also the updated guidelines brought more clarity to the categorisation of businesses and requirements of documents based on all the different categories. All of these factors will boost the growth of the sector and more entrepreneurs will start a food business in India.