Question 1

What are the three tiers of FSSAI registration and which applies?

Accepted Answer

Basic Registration (Form A, annual turnover < ₹12 lakh) — issued by District Food Safety Officer. State Licence (Form B, turnover ₹12 lakh–₹20 crore) — State Food Safety Commissioner. Central Licence (Form B, turnover > ₹20 crore or multi-state operations, importers, FBOs in airports/seaports) — Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Licence validity: 1–5 years, renewable 30 days before expiry.

Question 2

What documents are required for an FSSAI licence?

Accepted Answer

Form B; proof of entity (MOA/LLP agreement/partnership deed/GST registration); address proof of food business premises; blueprint/layout plan of processing unit; list of food products to be manufactured; NOC from municipality/Panchayat; water test report from certified lab (for manufacturers); list of equipment with installed capacity (for manufacturers); import-export code (for importers); food safety management plan.

Question 3

What labelling is mandatory on packaged food under FSSAI?

Accepted Answer

FSS (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations 2011: mandatory declarations — product name, list of ingredients (descending order of weight), nutritional information, net quantity, date of manufacture, best before/use by date, FSSAI licence number, country of origin, customer care details. Organic label: requires certification from an NPOP-accredited agency. "No added sugar" and similar claims require compliance with FSS (Advertising and Claims) Regulations 2018.

Question 4

What are the penalties for running a food business without FSSAI licence?

Accepted Answer

Section 63 FSS Act 2006: carrying on food business without licence — penalty up to ₹5 lakh. Section 51: unsafe food resulting in serious injury — imprisonment up to 7 years plus fine ₹10 lakh. Misbranding (Section 52): fine up to ₹3 lakh. Misleading advertisements (Section 53): fine up to ₹10 lakh. Food Safety Officers have power of inspection, sampling, seizure, and product recall under Section 47.

Question 5

How does FSSAI interact with GST for food businesses?

Accepted Answer

FSSAI and GST are independent registrations — FSSAI does not replace or substitute GST. GST on food: fresh vegetables and grains — 0%; branded packaged food items — 5–12%; restaurants — 5% (no ITC) or 18% (with ITC for non-AC). An e-commerce food delivery operator must collect TCS at 1% under Section 52 of the CGST Act — this is the food aggregator's obligation, not the FBO's (except for cloud kitchens listed on the aggregator's own brand).

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