License including FSSAI Registration required for Fruit Selling Businesses in India

Fruit selling Businesses are those that are engaged in selling, packaging, and supplying varieties of fruits in India. Since they are engaged in the food business, they must seek an FSSAI license. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had set certain hygiene and safety standards that ensure the quality of fruits that are sold by the fruit sellers.

Types of FSSAI Licenses

There are three types of food Licenses

1. Basic FSSAI Registration – The petty Food business operators such as small-sized manufacturers, retailers, distributors, etc whose annual turnover is up to 12 lakh are required to obtain the  Basic FSSAI Registration. The FSSAI Registration is however issued by the State Government and remains valid from 1 year to 5 years.

2. State FSSAI License – Small food business operators like small to medium-sized manufacturers, storage units, retailers, marketers, etc. who have operations in only 1 state (for example Mumbai) and whose annual turnover of more than 12 lakh, are required to apply for the State FSSAI License. The State License is issued by the State Government and remains valid from 1 year to 5 years.

3. Central FSSAI License – Food business operators such as Importers, Export Oriented Units, large manufacturers, airports, etc. who have operations in more than 1 state and whose annual turnover of the business exceeds 20 crores are required to obtain a Central Food License. The Central License is issued by the Central Government and remains valid from 1 year to 5 years.

How to apply for FSSAI online for Fruit Selling Business?

The process to apply for Online FSSAI registration are as follows

• Visit the FoSCoS website.

• Click on the signup given on the left-hand above corner of the webpage and fill in your details in the signup form.

• Click on ‘Apply for New License/ Registration‘ under the state where the License for FSSAI online License registration needs to be obtained.

• Choose the business categories in which you are operating your business such as manufacturers, traders, exporters, e-commerce, etc.

• Choose on the turnover of your business i.e.

1. 1. Less than 12 Lakhs per annum,

   2. Up to 20 crores per annum,

   3. Greater than 20 Crores per annum.

• Click on it to proceed with registration.

• Click on it to apply for registration for all businesses.

• Fill in all the business-related details in the form as per the requirement of the business The details asked in the form are as follows

1. 1. Designation of business,

   2. Kind of business,

   3. Address and  of premises where the business is located correspondence address,

   4. Contact Details,

   5. The years you want to apply for that can be a maximum of 5 years and a minimum of 1 year,

   6. Details of the food items to be manufactured or sold,

   7. Food safety Mitra Details (if applicable),

   8. Other details such as business start date, source of water supply and whether if electricity is used for manufacturing of Sellings.

• Click on to save and continue.

• Upload photos, ID proof, and other required details depending upon the nature of the business.

• Click on the declaration form and proceed to pay fees.

• Payment could be done through

1. 1. Credit/ Debit Card,

   2. Net Banking,

   3. UPI.

• A receipt will be generated and you can directly download it from the dashboard.

Documents required for FSSAI License for Fruit Selling Business

The documents required for FSSAI Licenses are

1. Photo of the business proprietor.

2. Original Identity Proof such as PAN Card, Aadhar Card,  Ration Card, or Voter ID card.

3. Important business Licenses such as GSTIN, PAN card .

4. Supporting Documents (depending upon the business):- NOC by landowner NOC, NOC from Health commissioner, business plan, etc.

Fees for online FSSAI License registration

1. The fee for applying for a Basic FSSAI License is Rs. 100 per year.

2. The fees for applying for State FSSAI License costs between Rs. 2000/- to 5000 per year.

3. The Fee for applying for the Central FSSAI License is Rs.7500 per year.

Penalty for violation of FSSAI registration

1. If the FBO is running the operations without applying for the Food Safety certificate, this is punishable under the Act with imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs. 5 lakhs or both of them.

2. If a business is selling substandard quality food items either himself or by a person working on his behalf, it may be punished for up to Rs. 5 lakhs.

3. The FBO is selling goods by false representation, either himself or by a person acting on his behalf may get penalized by an amount up to Rs. 3 lakhs.

4. For all the entities selling, packing, storage, distribution, or importing food items containing extra or exotic substances, a fine of Rs. 1 lakh may be levied.

Other License Required for Fruit Selling Business

1. Trade License 

A fruit selling business is bound to obtain a trade license before initiating its business to commence a particular trade or business in a particular area/location. It is issued by the State Municipal Corporation to ensure that your store is regulated by all standards, regulations, ethical and safety norms so as to protect from being affected by any health hazards.

2. The Shops and Establishment Act, 1953

This act defines ‘shops’ as any premise where goods are sold, either by retail or wholesale, and where services are rendered to customers. Therefore, the fruit selling business is covered within this definition. The Indian Government, in order to ensure the registration of shops in the country, has facilitated online registration. The fruit-selling business owners can easily find an online registration portal by visiting the webpage of the municipal corporation of their own jurisdiction.

3. Goods and Services Tax (GST) 

Every fruit selling business owner, on registration, will get a GSTIN, a 15 digit code which is a unique GST identification number whose an annual turnover greater than Rs. 20 Lakhs invites mandatory registration with GST.

Conclusion

FSSAI is an Independent statutory organization established under the Ministry of Health that is responsible to regulate every individuals or entity that is involved in any sort of food business in India. The FSSAI has launched its initiative to integrate the organized retailers, such as Big Bazaar and Reliance Fresh, as well as the unorganized retailer such as pavement vendors and pushcart fruit sellers so as to ensure the availability of hygienic fruits and vegetables across the nation.