How To Download FSSAI Certificate

In India, FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) issues the FSSAI Registration/License certificate under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to the Food Business Operators (FBOs). Any person intending to start a food business, even from home, must mandatorily obtain the FSSAI Registration/License certificate before starting their food business. 

Types of FSSAI Registration

There are three types of FSSAI registration. The FBOs need to apply for the respective FSSAI registration on the FoSCoS website. The types of FSSAI registration are:

FSSAI Basic Registration 

The petty FBOs whose annual turnover is below Rs.12 lakh and production capacity of food products are up to 100 litres/kg per day need to apply for an FSSAI Basic Registration certificate. 

FSSAI State License

The medium-sized FBOs whose annual turnover exceeds Rs.12 lakh but is within Rs.20 crore need to apply for the FSSAI State License certificate from the state government. 

FSSAI Central License

The large-sized FBOs whose annual turnover exceeds Rs.20 crore need to apply for the FSSAI Central License certificate from the Central Government.

Process of Issuing FSSAI Certificate

After the FBOs apply for the FSSAI Registration/License certificate, the FSSAI authorities will undertake the following procedure before issuing the FSSAI certificate:

• Confirmation of jurisdiction of FSSAI application and office fee receipt (if any)
• Scrutinisation of documents
• Conducting food premises inspection before granting of a license, if necessary

After the FSSAI authorities are satisfied with the application and documents, they will send a copy of the FSSAI License/Registration certificate embedded with the QR code to the email of the applicant FBO. 

FSSAI License Number

The FSSAI certificate contains the 14-digit license number which has to be displayed by all FBOs on the package of the food products and at a prominent place of their business address or premises. The 14-digits of the FSSAI license number is divided into five sections. 

Each section of the FSSAI licence number states the FSSAI authorities some information about the FBO and distinguishes it from the others. The five sections of the FSSAI license number are as follows:

• Section 1 – It includes the first digit. It indicates whether the food business has received the FSSAI registration/license or not.
• Section 2 – It includes the second and the third digits of the license number. It indicates the state code in which the food business is registered and operational. 
• Section 3 – It includes the fourth and fifth digits of the license number. It indicates the year in which the food business received the FSSAI license.
• Section 4 – It includes the sixth, seventh and eighth digits of the license number. It indicates the quantity of enrolling master.
• Section 5 – It includes the last six digits of the license number. It indicates the unique license number of the FBO.

Steps to Download FSSAI Certificate

After the FSSAI License/Registration is sent to the email of the FBO, they can download the FSSAI certificate. The steps to download the FSSAI certificate are as follows:

Step 1: Visit the FoSCos website and click on the ‘Login-Businesses’ option on the homepage. 

Step 2: Enter your ‘Username’, ‘Password’, ‘Captcha’ and click on the ‘Sign-in’ button.

Step 3: Your dashboard will be displayed on the screen. Click on the ‘Issued’ option.

Step 4: Click on the ‘Issued-License’ option when you have applied for FSSAI License or the ‘Issued-Registration Certificate’ option when you have applied for FSSAI Registration. 

Step 5: Your FSSAI certificate will be displayed on the screen with the details. Under the ‘Reference no/Registration no’ column of your certificate details, click on your FSSAI certificate registration number.

Step 6: Your FSSAI certificate will open. Click on the download button/image on the page and click on ‘Save’. Your FSSAI Registration/License certificate will be downloaded.

Importance of FSSAI Certificate

After receiving the FSSAI certificate, the FBOs must mandatorily display it at their food premises and display the FSSAI registration number on all the packed food products. The FBOs can use the FSSAI logo on the packaging of the food products. The FSSAI certificate or logo ensures that the food quality is verified and, thus, safe for consumption. 

The FSSAI certificate increases the reliability of the food business and helps to attract investors, partners and customers. Failure to obtain the FSSAI certificate may lead to civil liability. The Food Safety Officers verifies/inspects the food premises or products and impose heavy fines when the FBOs do not have an FSSAI certificate. Thus, it is necessary to obtain FSSAI registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get the FSSAI registration?

Since there are three types of FSSAI registration, the time required to obtain them differs according to the registration type, which is as follows:

• For FSSAI basic registration – 7 working days.
• For FSSAI State and Central license – 30 working days.

Do I need a different FSSAI license to conduct different kinds of food business activities on the same premises?

No, the FSSAI license is based on premises. Thus, all kinds of food business activities that are being conducted in the same premise can be applied for in a single FSSAI license.

What is the validity of the FSSAI License?

The FSSAI issues licenses to the food business operator that usually has validity between 1 to 5 years. The validity of the license depends on the category of the food product. However, each food business operator must apply for FSSAI license renewal before 30 days of its expiry as it cannot be renewed after its expiry.

Can I convert manually issued FSSAI license to online during the renewal of the license?

The food business operator should approach the concerned designated officer of the respective area for converting the FSSAI license to an online license. The designated officer will create a user ID and issue a new system-generated license number that can be renewed through the online process, whenever required.

Can I apply for a fresh license after my FSSAI license was cancelled? 

Yes. You can make a fresh application for FSSAI registration or license after a period of 3 months from the date of cancellation to the concerned authority if all observations made in the improvement notice have been complied with.

How can I renew my FSSAI registration or license after its expiry? 

You cannot renew your FSSAI registration or license if it is not applied for renewal before its expiry. Once the FSSAI registration or license is expired, you have to apply for a fresh registration or licence.

My FSSAI registration is cancelled. Do I need to stop my food business activities? 

Yes. Upon the suspension or cancellation of your FSSAI registration or license, you need to stop food business activities immediately. Carrying out any food business activity upon suspension or cancellation of the FSSAI registration or license is an unlawful activity and will attract penal actions under the FSS Act, 2006.

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