Any person desirous to commence or carry on any food business should make an application for grant of a licence to the Designated Officer by submitting particulars of the food business, other requisite documents along with the prescribed fees.
The Designated Officer on receipt of an application, may either grant the licence or after giving the applicant an opportunity of being heard and for reasons to be recorded in writing, refuse to grant a licence to any applicant, if he is satisfied that it is necessary to do so in the interest of public health and should make available to the applicant a copy of the order.
The applicant may start his food business if a licence is not issued within two months from the date of application or his application is not rejected.
A single licence may be issued by the Designated Officer for one or more articles of food and also for different establishments or premises in the same area.
If the articles of food are manufactured, stored, sold or exhibited for sale at different premises situated in more than one area, separate applications shall be made and separate licence shall be issued in respect of such premises not falling within the same area.
Food Business Operator can appeal to the Commissioner of Food Safety against the order of rejection for the grant of licence.
List of Food Businesses falling under the purview of Central Licensing Authority SCHEDULE-1
Dairy units including milk chilling units equipped to handle or process more than 50 thousand litres of liquid milk/day or 2500 MT of milk solid per annum
Vegetable oil processing units and units producing vegetable oil by the process of solvent extraction and refineries including oil expeller unit having installed capacity of more than 2 MT per day
All slaughter houses equipped to slaughter more than 50 large animals or 150 or more small animals including sheep and goats or 1000 or more poultry birds per day
Meat processing units equipped to handle or process more than 500 kg of meat per day or 150 MT per annum
All food processing units other than mentioned under (i) to (iv) including re-labellers and re-packers having installed capacity of more than 2 MT/day except grains, cereals and pulses milling units
100 % Export Oriented Units
All Importers importing food items for commercial use
All Food Business Operators manufacturing any article of Food ingredients or substances or using technologies or processes or combination thereof whose safety has not been established through these regulations or which do not have a history of safe use or food containing ingredients which are being introduced for the first time into the country. (They need to apply for product approval at FSSAI HQ separately before applying for license)
FBOs operating in two or more states as per their capacity/turnover required for central licensing
Other Food Business Operators (storage, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, etc. and hotel establishments including 5 stars and above)
Food catering services in establishments and units under Central Government Agencies like Railways, Air and Airport, Seaport, Defence, etc.
State Licensing Authority
License for commencing or carrying on food business, which are not covered under Schedule 1, shall be granted by the concerned State Licensing Authority.
