What is the validity period of a registered food license?

What is the validity period of a registered food license?

The license issued by the FSSAI is valid for a time period of 1 to 5 years from the date of issuance. The license has to be renewed subsequently in order for the FBO to continue the business.

What is the validity period of a registered food license: The FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), incorporated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, plays a vital role in regulating the quality of food items accessible to the public. The FSSAI provides licenses to the FBOs (Food Business Operators) depending upon their turnover and place of operation. All business owners dealing with food and food products, such as manufacturers or producers, those involved in the storage and transporting of edible products etc have to obtain the FSSAI license mandatorily.

The license given by the FSSAI is basically of three types:

FSSAI Basic Registration

FSSAI Central License

FSSAI State License

Validity of the FSSAI License:

The license issued by the FSSAI is valid for a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 5 years. However, in order to continue the business, the FBO has to renew the license thereafter. If the license is not renewed the FBO will be subjected to penalties. The 14-digit license number should be displayed on food packages or in the place of business by the FBO.

Time Frame for License Renewal:

The Food Safety Standard (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, state that the application for renewal must be made before 30 days of the expiry date as mentioned in the license. The application can be made as early as 180 days before the date of expiry.

Renewal of License for Businesses That Were Affected During Covid Lockdown:

The renewal of the license enables the businesses to carry the same license number even after its expiry. Earlier the FSSAI had not provided an option for renewal. The FBOs had to make a fresh application for the license/registration after its expiry to commence the business again. During the COVID 19 pandemic, a number of businesses were unable to renew their license/registration within the allotted time. Many FBOs were pushed to pursue a new license to continue their food business. The FSSAI allowed the renewal of licenses for such businesses under the following conditions.

The renewal of a license after the expiry is allowed for licensed FBOs that carry out online submissions of annual returns through the FoSCoS portal

The renewal shall be allowed only until 180 days from the date of expiry

Read More.....