FSSAI rules by kind of business.
The same Act reads very differently for a home baker, a dairy and an importer. Here’s what applies to yours — and the part most businesses like yours miss.
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36 businesses, each with the licence it needs, the fee, the rules that apply, the documents and the common mistakes — tied to FSSAI’s own documents.
Food service
Manufacturing & products
- Food manufacturing unit
- Packaged drinking water plant
- Dairy business
- Spices and masala business
- Edible oil business
- Flour mill
- Bakery or sweet shop
- Snacks and namkeen business
- Pickle business
- Ice cream business
- Chocolate business
- Honey business
- Tea or coffee business
- Juice business
- Meat, chicken or fish shop
- Dry fruits or makhana business
- Nutraceutical or supplement business
- Ayurvedic food business
- Repacking or private-label business
Restaurants, cafés and cloud kitchens
Registration up to ₹1.5 crore, State licence to ₹50 crore, Central above.
What catches businesses like yours
- One licence per kitchen — a second outlet is a second application
- Chains with a Central licence or 10+ outlets must show calories and allergens on the menu
- Water test and medicals every year are what inspectors ask for first
Home bakers, tiffin and home kitchens
Almost always a ₹100 Registration — unless you cater.
What catches businesses like yours
- Selling on Swiggy, Zomato or Instagram still needs your own registration
- Caterers cannot use Registration at any turnover (total yearly sales)
- Pre-packed sales bring the full labelling rules with them
Packaged food manufacturers
Turnover decides the tier. Nutraceuticals are Central from day one.
What catches businesses like yours
- Annual return (Form D-1 (the yearly return)) by 31 May — missing it suspends the licence
- Product testing every six months is a condition of licence
- Every SKU’s label is a separate exposure to a ₹3 lakh misbranding penalty
Dairy and milk processing
Turnover bands apply; Form D-1 by 31 May — and check the D-2 position.
What catches businesses like yours
- High-risk category — Central-licensed units need a yearly third-party audit
- Medicals on recruitment, not only yearly
- Source of milk records are asked for at inspection
Health supplements and nutraceuticals
Central licence at any turnover.
What catches businesses like yours
- Every ingredient must sit within its permitted limit against one RDA
- Claims are the most-cited defect in enforcement notices
- Import only through designated ports
Importers and exporters
Central licence at any turnover.
What catches businesses like yours
- Residual shelf life decides clearance before the ship sails
- Only five label defects can be fixed by sticker at the port
- Your import licence falls with your IEC
Retail, wholesale and distribution
Turnover decides. Wholesalers also owe a recall plan.
What catches businesses like yours
- FIFO/FEFO rule no longer binds retailers (June 2026 amendment)
- Daily production records now apply only to manufacturers
- Weighing scales need Legal Metrology stamping
E-commerce food businesses
Central licence for the platform; sellers need their own licence.
What catches businesses like yours
- Listing must show the seller’s licence number
- Labels you display online are held to the same rules as the pack
- Multi-state operations add a head-office licence
Bakeries and sweet shops
Turnover decides the tier; a hygiene rating is open to you.
What catches businesses like yours
- Indian sweets apply under food category 18.1 (FSSAI direction, July 2021), not as proprietary food
- Confectionery over 500 g may be sold only packed — and then every label rule applies
- Pre-packed items bring the full labelling rules, allergens first
Meat, poultry and fish
Turnover decides the tier; Schedule 4 (FSSAI’s hygiene rules) Part IV adds its own rules.
What catches businesses like yours
- High-risk category — Central-licensed processors need a yearly third-party audit
- Lime washing and medicals every twelve months
- Imports only through designated ports
Beverages and packaged water
Turnover decides the tier; packaged water is a high-risk category.
What catches businesses like yours
- Central-licensed packaged water units owe a yearly third-party audit
- Packaged water may only be packed in the materials the Packaging Regulations list
- Caffeinated and energy drinks carry mandatory warning statements
Warehousing and cold chain
Turnover decides; storage and transport are kinds of business (the category you register under) of their own.
What catches businesses like yours
- Temperature records for every chiller and freezer
- Water testing yearly for warehouses; pest control records always
- Stock rotation still applies to storage — the June 2026 exemption is for retailers
Hotels and caterers
5-star and above Central; up to 4-star State; caterers never Registration.
What catches businesses like yours
- Caterers can’t use a Registration at any turnover
- Central-licensed or 10+ outlet food service shows calories and allergens on menus
- Every banquet kitchen at a separate premises needs its own licence
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- Government fee paid by you, directly to FSSAI
- Filed under your own FoSCoS (FSSAI’s licensing website) login
- Fixed fee, confirmed in writing before we start
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