FSSAI Renewal

It is important to renew your FSSAI license to ensure that your food business continues to operate legally, and to the highest standards of food safety and quality. Depending on the decision made by the Food Business Operator (FBO) during issuance, the FSSAI license generally remains valid for a period of one to five years. In order to maintain your operations without any disruptions, renewing your license before your expiration date is necessary.

How and When to Apply for Renewal

To ensure the uninterrupted taking of business operations, one must renew their FSSAI license well in advance of its expiration. In this case, the renewal process needs to be started anytime between 120 days to one month prior to the expiration date. But, waiting until the last 30-day period invites penalties in the form of standard late fees plus 100 INR per day. The worst case scenario is if the license is not renewed at all, as this will lead to a complete halting of business activities and require the acquisition of an entirely new license.

Types Licenses of FSSAI and Their Renewals

FSSAI licenses differentiate on the basis of scale and nature of food business as follows:

• Basic registration: For small businesses with an annual turnover of up to ₹12 lakh. Renewal requires submitting Form A.
• State license: FSSAI gives this renewal form to medium sized businesses between 12 lakh and 20 crores of annual turnover. Renewal requires submitting Form B.
• Central License: This applies to big companies with an annual turnover greater than ₹20 crore or other companies which do specific business activities like, imports and exports. Renewal involves filing Form B.

Steps to Renew Your FSSAI License Online

Renewing your FSSAI license is something that can easily be done online. 

1. Log In: Navigate to the FoSCoS site and log in with your registered FSSAI License Number and password.
2. Initiate Renewal: After logging in, move to the ‘Renewal’ section and click on ‘Apply for Renewal of License/Registration’. If you have more than one license available to be renewed, they will show under ‘Available Licenses’ check the box next to the one you want to renew and click ‘Proceed’.
3. Fill in Details: An application form will pop up. This will have some fields that you can change and some that you cannot. Please fill in the required fields.
4. Upload Documents: Submit the needed documents which include the FSMS certificate, the current municipal trade license, and any other document set forth by the licensing body.
5. Payment: Indicate the number of years for renewal and make the necessary payments online. The fee structure depends on what kind of license it is and how long it is valid for.
6. Confirmation – After successful payment, a new 17-character reference number will be issued on your receipt. This reference number will allow tracking of the status of your renewal application.

Benefits of Timely Renewal

Timely renewal of your FSSAI license helps you in sustaining business operations continuously as well as showcase commitment to food safety standards. In addition, maintaining the license helps establish the credibility of your business, increases customer confidence, and protects from any legal issues and penalties for carrying out business without a valid license.

Consequences of Non-Renewal

You will be penalized severely, with fines and possibly closure of your business, for operating without a valid FSSAI license, as it is illegal. To avoid this, make it a point to keep track of the validity of your license and start planning for renewal well in advance of the expiration deadline.