FSSAI Food License Registration for Food Importers and Exporters

Who are Food Importers and Exporters? 

Import and export businesses bring billions of dollars into the Indian market every year. Food importers and exporters are mainly traded the food products like vegetables, fruits, spices, nuts varieties, etc. India is being a leader in the export market. So, any products that are going to export from India should be high in quality and standard, especially for food products. Exporting a low-quality food product will affect the standard of India in the global market. 

Importing a foreign item also follows the same procedure of exporting. Importing low-quality food goods is not at all acceptable. These food products will be consumed by our Indian nationals. So, the food product importing and exporting companies should follow the rules of the food safety authority of India to make sure the standard, quality and safety of the food products. 

Why is FSSAI License Important for Food Importers and Exporters? 

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a government body that acts under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. FSSAI is a superior authority that regulates and supervises the safety of food products in India. No food business will be allowed to start its venture without an FSSAI certificate.  

FSSAI mandates that every food product business must undergo FSSAI registration. The food business includes food preparing, handling, distributing, retailing importing and exporting entities. Any business that fails to get an FSSAI certificate will be debarred and charged with penalties. 

Food importers and exporters must get an FSSAI certificate before starting their business. Consuming a low-quality food product may cause health issues to the consumer. So, these food products are expected to be high-quality goods. FSSAI registration makes sure that the product trade by your company is safe enough to consume. It also helps the company to face any legal requirements as per the food safety act. 

FSSAI registration not only legalize your business but also elevate your business by following, 

• Build your import and export company as a quality and entrusted brand.        

• FSSAI registration will make any legal process regarding your business easy and effective.      

• You can easily expand your business trade to different countries without hassle.        

• You can use the FSSAI license logo to establish your concern on quality to customers.        

• FSSAI license can bring you investments and makes any loan process easy.     

How to get FSSAI License for Food Importers and Exporters? 

There are three types of FSSAI food license certificates. Based on your business cap, you must apply. Those three types of licenses are,      

• Basic FSSAI Registration/ FSSAI certificate – For annual turnover below Rs. 12 lakhs.   

• State FSSAI Food License Registration/ FSSAI certificate – For annual turnover from Rs.12 lakhs to Rs. 20 crores.     

• Central FSSAI Food License Registration/ FSSAI certificate – For annual turnover above Rs.20 crore.     

Basic FSSAI Registration:      

Basic FSSAI licenses are for small businesses and startups. The annual turnover of such businesses should be below Rs. 12 lakhs. For such small businesses, a Basic food license is enough. It matches with the company which import and export in small quantities. 

If your business earning turnover is below Rs.12 Lakhs, you fall under a small business cap. You must register for Form A for Basic FSSAI registration/ FSSAI certificate. As the business turnover reaches Rs. 12 lakhs, you must upgrade the food license from Basic FSSAI registration to state FSSAI registration.      

Documents required:      

• Address proof      

• Passport size photos      

• Business details      

• FSSAI declaration form      

State FSSAI Food License Registration:      

Let discuss the state level food license. Businesses with turnover between Rs. 12 lakhs to Rs.20 crores must get a State FSSAI license/ FSSAI certificate.   

If you are one of the food importers and exporters and your business turnover is between the above-mentioned limit, you fall under the State food license category. For this food license, you must fill up Form B.  

Documents Required:      

• Documents of business premises (Rental/Lease agreement)      

• ID proof of the business owner (Aadhar/ Voter ID/ Driving License/ Passport)      

• Incorporation Certificate/ GST Registration/ Trading License      

• MOA and AOA      

• Trade license/ Establishment registration/ Panchayath License/ Corporation License/ Municipality License. Any one of them.      

• Business details      

• FSSAI declaration forms      

Central FSSAI Food License Registration:      

Central FSSAI food license is for Food importers and exporters who trade food products across the globe. Even businesses that don’t have that many countries to trade but manage to earn over Rs.20 Crores falls under this category.  

If your food business turnover is over Rs. Rs.20 crores, then you should register for a Central food license. If your mid-cap business crossed Rs.20 crores you must upgrade from State food license to Central food license. For this food license, you must fill Form B.      

Documents Required:      

• Documents of business premises (Rental/Lease agreement)      

• ID proof of the Business Owner (Aadhar/ Voter ID/ Driving License/Passport)      

• Incorporation Certificate/GST Registration/Trade License      

• Import and Export code      

• MOA and AOA      

• Trade license/ Establishment registration/ Panchayath License/ Corporation License/ Municipality License. Any one of them.      

• List of business partners, if applicable.      

• Business details      

• FSSAI declaration forms      

Procedure to get FSSAI Certificate for Food Importers and Exporters

• Get your business plan.      

• Determine your yearly turnover.      

• Determine which type of license is essential for your business as food importers and exporters. 

• Fill out the application and complete documentation.      

• Paying the charge      

• Submit the application      

• You should be careful if there is any incorrect information in your application. FSSAI may cancel your registration. If there is any update requires in the form, then it must be updated. The updated form must be sent back within 30 days (about four and a half weeks).      

• FSSAI may need 15 – 45 days (about one and a half months) to approve the license. You must continuously follow up the process and sort out if there are any discrepancies.      

You may think that completing all these steps and getting an FSSAI certificate is hard. But it can be made easy by approaching a consultancy. LegalDocs is the leader in the market provides services related to FSSAI license certificate registration. Our expert will take care of everything that you must do to get FSSAI registration. You can complete the FSSAI registration and get your FSSAI food license at your doorstep. How?      

Three-step procedure to get FSSAI registration through LegalDocs      

• Discuss with our expert and fill out the easy form on the LegalDocs website.      

• LegalDocs expert will fill out your FSSAI form, resolve all queries and get approval from government authority.      

• Get delivered your FSSAI food license at your doorstep.