Navigation through the Food Chain: All-inclusive Tutorial on FSSAI Registration and Challan Payment in India

Introduction

The Indian food industry is a tapestry of colors and flavors woven with great tradition.  In order to ensure that every budding entrepreneur embarks into this promising venture, maintaining food safety and regulatory compliance becomes extremely important. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, popularly known as FSSAI, acts like an important safeguard to food quality as well as consumers’ interest.  Through this blog, you are given an insight into navigating your food business journey in India confidently through FSSAI registration process, payment challans procedures, etc.   

Understanding FSSAI: Safeguarding Food for All

The FSSAI is the central regulatory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, of 2006. It ensures food safety and hygiene in India. It regulates food manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale, and import to protect consumer health and promote fair practices within the food industry.

Do You Need FSSAI Registration? It Depends on Your Food Business

Not every food business needs FSSAI registration.  FSSAI classifies a business based on size, turnover, and type of food activity. Here’s the classification that will be useful to you to get whether you need a registration or not:

FSSAI Basic Registration: To all small-sized food business firms having an annual turnover up to Rs. 12 lakh. It comes with small restaurants, bakeries, sweet shops, and food stalls.

State FSSAI License: A state license is required for medium-sized business organizations with an annual turnover of more than Rs. 12 lakh but less than Rs. 20 crore. This includes categories like caterers, small-scale food manufacturers with low production, and processors of milk or milk products.

Central FSSAI License: If the annual turnover of a food business exceeds Rs. 20 crores or if it involves inter-state operations or export, then a central license needs to be obtained. In other words, large food manufacturing, food processing units and exporters.

Benefits of FSSAI Registration: Building Trust and Credibility

FSSAI registration offers you several benefits for your food business:

Compliance and Legality: The registration shows that a business is following food safety regulation, which is an act of law for carrying a food business in India.

Brand Image and Consumer Trust: It is a logo from the FSSAI to put on your packaging or display at your store to convey that you follow all of the food safety, adding value to your brand, and consumer confidence in purchasing from you.

Government schemes: Registered food business is eligible for government schemes as well as other subsidies the government offers for enhancing the food safety and hygiene culture.

Market Expansion Opportunity: FSSAI Registration simplifies marketing to larger markets of supermarkets and national chains

The FSSAI Registration Process: The Step by Steps

You’ll have to register your food business under FSSAI. Here’s how you do it

Step 1: Category for FSSAI registration: It would be covered under either Basic, State or Central depending on the company’s size and turnover as described earlier.

FSSAI Licensing and Registration

Registration: You would need to get yourself registered on the portal by filling up a new user application form. It would further allow you to access all the online application forms, among other facilities.

Online Application Form: You choose the appropriate category of FSSAI registration and proceed to fill in the form with your business name, address, food product categories, and turnover.

Upload Mandatory Documents: This step requires you to upload mandatory documents for your registration category. You will need to upload ID proof, business registration documents, photographs of your food establishment, and a list of food products.

Challan Payment for FSSAI Registration Fee: This is the most critical step of making the challan payment for your FSSAI registration fee. We will discuss the procedure of challan payment in the next section.

Form Submission and Acknowledgement: Once you completed the application form and submitted documents and challan fee, you should submit an online form. You would get an acknowledgement with a reference number that helps to track the application status.

FSSAI Challan Payment Understanding

The payment procedure for the challan is the method of payment of the FSSAI registration fee. And that again depends upon the category under which you are going to apply to get registered:

Basic FSSAI Registration: INR 100

State FSSAI License: This varies between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 5,000 depending upon the state.

Central FSSAI License: This is at Rs. 7,500

Challan: Online as well as Offline Challan

FSSAI allows both online and offline options for making challan payments:

Online Challan: This is preferably an electronic payment through the FSSAI portal. It has been elaborated upon below:

Access the Online Payment Section: After filling up the application form on the FSSAI Licensing and Registration portal, you will be able to find an online payment section.

Select Payment Gateway: Choose the online payment method, which may include net banking, credit card, or debit card.

Enter Challan Details: Fill in the challan details carefully. You need to provide your registration category, challan amount, and application reference number.

Secure Online Payment Processing: Complete the secure online payment processing using your selected gateway.

Payment Confirmation: Once you have successfully paid, you will receive an electronic confirmation message and challan receipt. Keep a copy of these for reference.

Offline Payment (Challan): If you are unable to pay online, you can opt for the offline challan method:

Download Challan Form: From the FSSAI portal, download the challan form applicable to your registration category.

Fill challan details: Fill the challan form with your business details, registration category, challan amount, and application reference number.

Deposit at designated bank: FSSAI challan collection payments are done by branches of those banks that can be nationalized, like SBI, PNB, etc. Deposit at the bank counter through cash payment.

Collect the Challan Receipt: Ensure you are receiving the stamped challan receipt, which would be a proof of payment from the bank side.

Challan Payment: Important things to be noted for FSSAI Challan payment:

Accuracy is the Key: Always cross-check challan amount and other details due to which your application process may get delayed.

Record payment receipt: Make sure that you keep a copy of the online payment confirmation, or a stamped challan receipt by the bank as a reference.

Payment Deadline: Ensure that you do your challan payment with in the stipulated timeline after making an online application.

Payment Challan: What After Payment of Challan: Tracking Application and Steps Ahead

Once you have successfully submitted your application and also deposited the challan fees, then you can search your status of the submission with your reference number via FSSAI portal online. The processing time regarding the registration with FSSAI will depend upon categories as well as completeness while making your application.  When you successfully make the submission for your FSSAI, you get it by E-mail or at the respective post address by an e- certificate which indicates successful FSSAI registration. 

 Maintaining FSSAI Compliance :

This is just the registration for FSSAI. However, here are some other considerations in terms of ongoing compliance:

Food Safety and Hygiene Practices: Your food establishment must follow the prescribed food safety and hygiene practices under FSSAI guidelines.

Renewal Cycles: The registrations granted by FSSAI renew after one to five years depending on the category involved. Keep a watch over renewal dates and get renewals done on time.

Regular Inspections: FSSAI officials are free to inspect the processing units at any point of time. Ensure that there is no violation of rules and regulations related to food safety.

FSSAI Training and Updates: Familiarize yourself and the staff with the regulations prescribed by FSSAI from time to time, via training programs conducted by either FSSAI or in institutions recognized by it.

Indian food industry is growing rapidly and food safety is the prime concern. Some of the possible trends that may come into consideration are as follows:

Traceability and Transparency: FSSAI could implement strict rules for traceability of food products so that the consumer can trace the origin of the food product.

Digitalization and Automation: Technology for food safety management may become widespread, including online training modules and digital inspection processes.

Facilitating Healthy Sustainable Food Practices: The FSSAI can facilitate healthy and sustainable food production practices within the industry.

Conclusion: Safe and Delicious Journey:

Get FSSAI registration, pay your challan, and prioritize food safety measures. By this, you will be able to enter the Indian food sector in a successful and rewarding manner. Remember that FSSAI registration is not just a formality but an assurance of safety and well-being for consumers, which will further facilitate a healthier and more sustainable food ecosystem.