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.
Find the page for your business.
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
- 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) 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 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 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
Get licensed. Stay licensed.
Book a free 10-minute check. A person — not a bot — calls you back within working hours, tells you exactly which licence you need and what it costs, before you commit to anything.
- Government fee paid by you, directly to FSSAI
- Filed under your own FoSCoS login
- Fixed fee, confirmed in writing before we start
Not ready to talk? Get the free 2026 checklist or find your licence yourself.