FoodRaksha is an independent consultancy, not a government office. Government fees are paid by you directly to FSSAI on foscos.fssai.gov.in.
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For supplement, nutraceutical and D2C brands

Launch and sell supplements in India, the right way

Central Licence, formulation, labels, claims, testing and marketplaces, handled by a regulatory team that checks every ingredient against its schedule.

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Free 10-minute check · A regulatory advisor calls back within 2 working hours, Mon–Sat 10 am–7 pm · Government fee paid by you directly to FSSAI

Start with a free 10-minute call

No forms to understand. Just tell us what you sell and where. A person from our regulatory team calls you back.

  • Central Licence filed within 3 working days of your documents
  • Every ingredient checked against its schedule
  • Claims tested before you print
  • Government fee paid by you directly to FSSAI

Talk to a regulatory advisor

We will tell you which licence you need and what it costs. Free, no obligation.

A regulatory advisor calls you within 2 working hours (Mon–Sat, 10 am–7 pm). No obligation.

The short answer

Four rules every supplement brand in India runs into.

Central Licenceat any turnover

If you make supplements, or have them made under your brand.

₹7,500a year, paid to FSSAI

The government fee. Our own fee is quoted in writing.

1 RDAceiling for added vitamins and minerals

Per day, using ICMR-NIN 2020 values for your target group.

No disease claimson any supplement

A food may not claim to treat, cure or prevent a disease.

Start where you are

D2C brandYour product is made by a contract manufacturer and sold online.ManufacturerYou make supplements in your own unit, for your brand or for others.ImporterYou bring a supplement brand into India.Herbal or Ayurvedic brandYour product uses herbs or a classical Ayurvedic recipe.
Timing

Why brands bring us in before launch

Compliance decided at the start costs a fraction of compliance fixed after.

Labels reprinted after listingA missing statement or a wrong category name means a reprint of every pack and a re-shoot of every listing image.
Ads and posts pulledA claim that reads as a cure is stopped by the platform, by ASCI, or by FSSAI, after the media spend is gone.
Notices name more than the brandFSSAI notices we have read were addressed to the endorser and the platform as well as the manufacturer.

How we review a product

Tool-backed checks, every finding cited.

  • Every ingredient

    Checked against its schedule, the permitted plant part and its range.

  • Extracts converted

    A 10:1 extract is converted back to raw herb before the limit is applied.

  • Your target group

    1 RDA is read from the ICMR-NIN 2020 row for the people you sell to.

  • Claims by arithmetic

    Nutrient claims are tested against your own per-100 g figures.

Formulation review · sample product4 findings
Ashwagandha root extract 10:1500 mg

Equals 5 g of root. Schedule range for root is 3–6 g.

Within range
Vitamin C100 mg

154% of the 65 mg RDA (adult women). The ceiling is 1 RDA, and a capsule has no route above it.

Over 1 RDA
“High protein” on the pack8 g / 100 g

Your own figure is below the threshold for a “high” claim.

Claim fails
Format: capsuleHealth supplement

Capsules are allowed for this category.

Allowed

Every finding cites the regulation it comes from. This is an example, not a real client file.

Which category is your product?

The category decides the formats, limits and label lines. Pick one to see.

Health supplement

Concentrated nutrients or other listed substances, taken to add to the normal diet.

Ingredients
Vitamins, minerals, botanicals and other listed nutrients from Schedules I, II and IV. Not Schedule III.
Limits
Vitamins and minerals up to 1 RDA a day. A nutrient you claim must be at least 15% of the RDA (30% for “high”).

Formats

  • TabletAllowed
  • CapsuleAllowed
  • PowderAllowed
  • GummyAllowed
  • LiquidAllowed
  • DropsAllowed
  • Bar or biscuitAllowed; label must set it apart from ordinary food

The label must carry

  • “Health Supplement” with the name
  • NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE
  • Recommended daily usage, and a warning not to exceed it
  • Who it is for (age group)

AllowedNeeds FSSAI approvalNot allowedAllowed with conditionsAsk us

Herbal or Ayurvedic? Food, Ayurvedic food or medicine — check in 3 questions.

D2C brand? Here is who needs what

The usual set-up: you own the brand, a contract manufacturer makes it, you sell online.

Your brandCentral Licence, in your name

Needed at any turnover when supplements are made for you under your brand. Your number goes on the pack with the FSSAI logo.

Contract manufacturerTheir own Central Licence

Check it covers health supplements or nutraceuticals, and your product categories, before you sign.

WarehouseStorage on a licence

Your own warehouse needs its own licence for storage. A 3PL warehouse holds its own.

Your website or appE-commerce, Central Licence

Selling food from your own site is its own kind of business.

MarketplacesPlatform has its own licence

Your listing must show your licence number and the label details.

Quick commerce, pharmacies, retailBuyer checks your licence

The pack and your paperwork must match what they list.

Both you and the manufacturer are named on the pack. We set out the exact lines for your label.

The full D2C guide

What your label must carry

Hover or tap a number to see it on the pack.

  1. 1
    Category name

    “Health Supplement” or “Nutraceutical”, next to the product name.

  2. 2
    NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE

    Prominent, in the words the rules set.

  3. 3
    How much, and not more

    Recommended daily usage, with a warning not to exceed it.

  4. 4
    Who it is for

    The age group, plus warnings your ingredients trigger.

  5. 5
    Per serving, with % of RDA

    Nutrients and actives per serving, against the RDA.

  6. 6
    Ingredients

    With the amount of each active; extracts with their ratio.

  7. 7
    FSSAI logo and licence

    Your licence number, next to the logo.

  8. 8
    Veg or non-veg mark

    Capsule shells count: gelatin makes it non-veg.

  9. 9
    Who made and markets it

    Manufacturer and brand owner, with customer care.

  10. 10
    Pack details

    Net quantity, MRP, batch, dates. Legal Metrology applies too.

A sample pack for illustration. Exact wording, size and placement matter; we check your real artwork line by line.

Claims, at a glance

What most often gets a supplement label written up.

Not allowedOn any supplement
  • “Cures joint pain”
  • “Controls diabetes”
  • “Prevents infections”
  • Calling the product “healthy”
  • Disease risk reduction claims (removed for supplements in 2021)
Needs evidence and exact wordingPossible, with care
  • “Boosts immunity”
  • “Helps weight loss”
  • “Builds muscle”
  • “Clinically proven”
  • “Doctor recommended”
  • “100% natural”
Usually fine when trueBack it with your figures
  • “Source of vitamin C”, when the amount meets FSSAI’s threshold
  • “High in protein”, when your figure meets it
  • Plain facts: “Vegetarian capsule”, “60 capsules”

Labels and claims in detail

From formula to shelf

Seven steps. We run the ones marked “We”.

  1. We

    Formula check

    Category, each ingredient against its schedule, extract ratios, and 1 RDA for your target group.

  2. FSSAI

    Approval, only if needed

    For a new ingredient, a level above the limits, or a format that needs it.

  3. We

    Licence covers it

    The product category is on your Central Licence. If not, we add it by modification.

  4. We + you

    Label and claims

    Artwork checked line by line. Claims recorded with their evidence.

  5. Lab

    First batch tested

    Actives against the label, heavy metals and microbiology, at a notified lab.

  6. We

    Listing pack

    Licence, label images and test reports ready for marketplaces and buyers.

  7. We

    Keep it valid

    Tests every six months, Form D-1 by 31 May, claims re-checked when rules change.

Launch and testing in detail

Everything we do for supplement brands

Supplement rule changes, on WhatsApp

A short note when a rule that affects supplement brands changes. Nothing else.

Questions supplement brands ask

Do I need a Central Licence for a small supplement brand?

Yes. Making health supplements or nutraceuticals, or having them made under your brand, needs a Central Licence at any turnover. The government fee is ₹7,500 a year.

Can I sell supplements with only a Basic Registration?

Not if you make them or have them made for your brand. A shop or direct seller reselling someone else’s packed supplements goes by turnover, starting with a ₹100 Registration.

Can I exceed 1 RDA of a vitamin?

Only with FSSAI’s prior approval, and only in a food format. Never in a tablet, capsule or syrup.

Are gummies allowed?

Yes for health supplements and nutraceuticals. No for foods for special medical purposes.

Can my supplement say it boosts immunity?

Only with the right evidence and wording. “Immunity” is one of the claims most often written up. Claims to treat or prevent a disease are not allowed at all.

How long does it take?

We file within 3 working days of getting all your documents. FSSAI’s own time limit for a licence is 60 days from a complete application; approvals, where needed, take as long as FSSAI’s review takes.

Get your supplement reviewed

Tell us about your product and where you sell. A regulatory advisor calls you back within 2 working hours.

  • Free 10-minute check
  • Filed within 3 working days of getting your documents
  • Licence in your own name
  • Government fee paid by you directly to FSSAI

Get a free call back

We will tell you which licence you need and what it costs. Free, no obligation.

A regulatory advisor calls you within 2 working hours (Mon–Sat, 10 am–7 pm). No obligation.

WhatsApp