FSSAI License Registration for Herbal Product Businesses

With the advancement of medicinal infrastructure in India, most of the consumers have become health conscious and prefer to buy products that are free from adulteration, contamination and are used to maintain the hygienic standards of the people and should be approved by FSSAI. For this reason, the Food Business operators must get the approval and the license to commence food business or manufacture, distribute, sell and import food products in India. Herbal product business is a company that sells nutritional supplements and body care products that are mainly used by people for weight management, digestive health, cardiovascular health, skin health, and fitness.

License required for Herbal Product Business

The various Licenses required for herbal products business are as follows:

1. Ayush Manufacturing License- Obtaining a complete Ayush manufacturing license for herbal products in India is necessary if you are interested in the manufacturing as well as marketing act of herbal products in India.
2. Standard Quality of Drugs and Cosmetics- Standard Quality of drugs means that drugs or cosmetics comply with the quality standards that are mentioned in the Second Schedule of sale under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940. Since the herbal products seller are involved in the sales of health nutrients supplements and body care products comes under this act.
3. Goods and Services Tax (GST)- Every business owner on registration, whose annual turnover is greater than Rs. 20 Lakhs invites mandatory registration with GST (Goods and Service Tax). GSTIN is a 15 digit code which is a unique GST identification number.
4. FSSAI License- The Food Standards and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) is the regulatory authority for regulating and supervising the food safety standards in India. So anyone who intends to have authority to handle or food business including Manufacturing, processing, packaging, or delivering of any eatable items are mandatorily required to take FSSAI Basic Registration as per the law.

Types of FSSAI 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 License Registration

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 to proceed for registration.
• Click on 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 electricity is used for manufacturing of products.

• 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. UP

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

Documents required for FSSAI  Online License Registration 

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