NewKerala.com

FSSAI Licenses Now Valid Forever: Major Food Safety Reforms Approved

The government has approved significant reforms to food safety regulations, introducing perpetual validity for FSSAI licenses and registrations. The annual turnover threshold for basic registration has been raised substantially, simplifying compliance for micro and small businesses. Street food vendors registered with municipal bodies will now be treated as automatically registered with FSSAI, eliminating duplicate paperwork. These changes aim to reduce the compliance burden while allowing regulators to focus more on monitoring and enforcement.

Key Points: Govt Approves Perpetual FSSAI Licenses, Eases Food Biz Rules

  • Perpetual FSSAI license validity
  • Higher turnover thresholds for registration
  • Simplified rules for street vendors
  • Reduced compliance burden for businesses
2 min read

Govt approves major reforms in food safety rules, FSSAI licences to get perpetual validity

Major food safety reforms approved: FSSAI licenses get perpetual validity, higher turnover thresholds, and simplified rules for street vendors.

"This step will reduce compliance costs, paperwork and repeated interactions with licensing authorities. - Health Ministry Official"

New Delhi, March 13

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday approved a set of major regulatory and procedural reforms aimed at improving ease of doing business while maintaining strong food safety standards in the country.

The reforms were finalised after detailed consultations with states, union territories and industry stakeholders.

They are also in line with the recommendations of a high-level committee on non-financial regulatory reforms constituted by NITI Aayog.

One of the most significant changes approved by the government is the introduction of perpetual validity for registrations and licences issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

Earlier, food business operators were required to renew their registrations and licences periodically.

Under the new system, registrations and licences will remain valid permanently, removing the need for repeated renewals.

Officials said this step will reduce compliance costs, paperwork and repeated interactions with licensing authorities for food business operators.

It will also allow regulatory agencies to focus more on monitoring, enforcement and capacity-building activities.

As part of the reforms, the government has also increased the turnover threshold for registration and licensing.

From April 1, 2026, businesses with an annual turnover of up to Rs 1.5 crore will only need basic registration, compared to the earlier limit of Rs 12 lakh.

Businesses with turnover up to Rs 50 crore will fall under state licensing, while those above this limit will require central licensing.

The government said this move will simplify compliance for micro and small food businesses by reducing paperwork, fees and pre-inspection requirements.

At the same time, it will strengthen the role of state authorities in overseeing food safety regulations within their jurisdictions.

Another key reform aims to reduce duplicate registrations for street food vendors. Under the new rules, vendors who are already registered with municipal corporations or town vending committees under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 will be treated as automatically registered with FSSAI.

The government said this measure will benefit more than 10 lakh street food vendors by removing the need to obtain multiple registrations from different authorities.

It is expected to reduce the compliance burden and allow vendors to focus more on their livelihoods and maintaining hygiene standards.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As someone who works in the food import sector, this is a welcome step for ease of doing business. The increased turnover thresholds are very practical. However, I hope the "focus on monitoring" part is real. Perpetual licenses should not mean perpetual neglect of standards. Regular, surprise checks are a must.
P
Priya S
Biggest win for street food vendors! My local chaiwala and samosa uncle were always worried about these multiple licenses. Treating municipal registration as enough is a brilliant, common-sense move. Less harassment for them, more focus on hygiene. Hope this is implemented smoothly across all states. 🙏
A
Aman W
Good move overall, but a word of caution. While reducing paperwork is great, the authorities must ensure the initial licensing process is extremely thorough. A perpetual license for a bad actor is a long-term problem. The system's success depends entirely on robust initial vetting and consistent, unannounced inspections.
K
Kavya N
The turnover limit increase from 12 lakh to 1.5 crore for basic registration is a game-changer for home chefs and small startups. So many women-run home businesses will benefit. This truly supports the 'Vocal for Local' spirit. Less bureaucracy, more entrepreneurship! 💪
D
David E
Streamlining regulations is crucial for economic growth. This seems like a well-considered reform that balances ease of business with regulatory oversight. Shifting focus from renewal paperwork to actual enforcement is the right approach. Hope other sectors take note.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50