FSSAI stands for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. It is the statutory body set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to lay down science-based standards for food and to regulate its manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import. Every food business in India needs an FSSAI registration or licence, and the 14-digit number shown next to the FSSAI logo on a food pack is that business’s number.
If you need a registration or a State or Central licence, our FSSAI licence service handles the FoSCoS application from start to grant.
FSSAI full form and the law behind it
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Act 34 of 2006) brought together India’s earlier food laws under one statute. Section 4 directs the Central Government to establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India by notification, as a body corporate, and states that its head office “shall be at Delhi”. FSSAI’s own documents give its address as FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is FSSAI’s administrative ministry. Gazette notifications that bring amendments to the Act into force, such as S.O. 3274(E) of 22 June 2026, are issued by that ministry.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 23 August 2006 | Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 receives the assent of the President |
| 5 August 2011 | FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 come into force |
| 8 November 2023 | Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 changes to FSS Act penalties come into force (S.O. 4834(E)) |
| 1 April 2026 | New turnover thresholds for registration and licences, and perpetual validity, take effect |
| 1 October 2026 | Jan Vishwas Act, 2026 changes to the FSS Act come into force |
The 2026 changes are mainly procedural. They replace references to the old criminal codes with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, cut the maximum jail term for interfering with seized items under section 60 from six months to three months, and narrow the offence under section 62 to impersonating, threatening, intimidating or assaulting a Food Safety Officer.
FSSAI glossary: related full forms
You will meet these terms on FoSCoS, in FSSAI orders and on your licence.
| Short form | Full form | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| FSS Act | Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 | The parent law for food safety in India |
| FBO | Food Business Operator | Defined in section 3(1)(o) of the Act as the person who carries on or owns the food business and is responsible for compliance |
| FoSCoS | Food Safety and Compliance System | FSSAI’s online portal for registrations, licences, modifications and annual returns. FSSAI’s guidance document gives this expansion; you will also see “Food Safety Compliance System” |
| FLRS | Food Licensing and Registration System | The earlier online licensing system that FoSCoS replaced |
| FSSR | Food Safety and Standards Regulations | The regulations made under the Act, such as the Licensing and Registration Regulations, 2011 and the Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020 |
| FoSTaC | Food Safety Training and Certification | FSSAI’s training programme for Food Safety Supervisors |
| FSMS | Food Safety Management System | The plan or certificate submitted with a licence application |
| FICS | Food Import Clearance System | FSSAI’s online system for clearing imported food consignments |
| FSO | Food Safety Officer | Officer appointed under section 37 of the Act to inspect premises and draw samples |
| DO | Designated Officer | Officer appointed under section 36 for each district, whose functions include issuing and cancelling licences |
| InFoLNet | Indian Food Laboratories Network | FSSAI’s IT system linking food testing laboratories |
| FSW | Food Safety on Wheels | Mobile food testing laboratories run under an FSSAI scheme |
The Commissioner of Food Safety (section 30) heads food safety enforcement in each State and Union Territory, which is why State licences and registrations are issued by State authorities rather than by FSSAI’s head office.
What the FSSAI logo and number on a pack mean
Regulation 5(7) of the Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020 sets the rules:
- Logo and number together. The FSSAI logo and the licence number must appear on the label in a colour that contrasts with the background, written as “Lic. No.” followed by the 14 digits.
- Brand owner first. The brand owner’s logo and number must appear. If the manufacturer, marketer, packer or bottler is a different business, its licence number must appear too.
- Imports. The importer must show the FSSAI logo and its licence number along with its name and address.
- Premises. Every FBO must display its registration or licence number, or a Food Safety Display Board where specified, at a prominent place in each premises.
- Other logos. Fortified and organic food carry their own logos, specified in Schedule I of the same regulations. Vegetarian food carries a green filled circle in a green-outlined square, and non-vegetarian food a brown filled triangle in a brown-outlined square, under regulation 5(4).
What the logo means: the business responsible for the product holds an FSSAI licence or registration, and the number tells you which one. What it does not mean: that FSSAI has tested, approved or endorsed that product. FSSAI’s logo guidelines say any permitted use of its logo must not suggest FSSAI endorses a particular product or company. Using the logo at events, in publications or on websites needs FSSAI’s prior permission, although the guidelines state that they do not restrict use of the logo on packaged food.
What the 14 digits tell you
FSSAI’s licensing FAQs confirm two things: every number is 14 digits long, and the first digit shows the type.
| First digit | Type | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Licence (State or Central) | State licensing authority or FSSAI’s Central licensing authority |
| 2 | Registration | State registering authority |
Many websites claim the remaining digits encode a state code, year of issue and officer code. FSSAI does not publish that breakdown, so we do not repeat it. The only reliable way to read a number is to look it up. Our FSSAI licence number check guide explains FBO Search on FoSCoS, the Food Safety Connect app and the certificate’s QR code.
Registration, State licence and Central licence
FSSAI issues three kinds of certificate. Since 1 April 2026, basic registration covers businesses with turnover up to ₹1.5 crore, a State licence covers turnover above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹50 crore, and a Central licence covers turnover above ₹50 crore. Some activities, such as importing food and e-commerce food businesses, need a Central licence whatever the turnover. Licences and registrations issued from 1 April 2026 stay valid unless suspended, cancelled or surrendered.
Fees, documents and the FoSCoS steps are in our guide to the FSSAI certificate: registration vs State and Central licence.
FSSAI and other marks on a food pack
The FSSAI logo is one of several marks you may see on packaged food, and each comes from a different law:
- Net quantity, retail sale price and consumer care details follow the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and its rules. Regulation 5(8) of the FSSAI labelling regulations says so expressly. See LMPC full form and meaning.
- The ISI mark is a BIS product certification mark, not a food safety licence. It appears on food only where a product is covered by BIS certification, and the list of covered products changes. See ISI mark full form and meaning.
- AGMARK is the grading mark for agricultural produce under a separate law. See our AGMARK certification guide.
Penalties under the FSS Act
Chapter IX of the Act, “Offences and Penalties”, separates civil penalties, which an Adjudicating Officer imposes under Chapter X, from punishments involving imprisonment, which courts decide. The table reflects the amendments made by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, which came into force on 8 November 2023.
| Section | Contravention | Maximum consequence |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Selling food not of the nature, substance or quality demanded | Penalty up to ₹5 lakh (₹25,000 for registered petty food businesses) |
| 51 | Sub-standard food | Penalty up to ₹5 lakh |
| 52 | Misbranded food | Penalty up to ₹3 lakh |
| 53 | Misleading advertisement | Penalty up to ₹10 lakh |
| 54 | Food containing extraneous matter | Penalty up to ₹1 lakh |
| 56 | Unhygienic or unsanitary processing or manufacture | Penalty up to ₹1 lakh |
| 58 | Contraventions with no specific penalty | Penalty up to ₹2 lakh |
| 59 | Unsafe food | From up to 3 months’ imprisonment and a fine up to ₹3 lakh where there is no injury, to at least 7 years and up to life imprisonment, with a fine of at least ₹10 lakh, where it causes death |
| 61 | False information or documents | Penalty up to ₹10 lakh |
| 63 | Carrying on business without a required licence | Penalty up to ₹10 lakh |
Section 64 adds that a repeat conviction for the same offence can attract twice the punishment (within the maximum), a further fine of up to ₹1 lakh a day for a continuing offence, and cancellation of the licence.
Before the 2023 amendment, section 63 provided for up to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh. Many guides still quote those figures.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech is a private compliance consultancy, independent of FSSAI and all government bodies. We help food manufacturers, importers and brands pick the right registration or licence, file and track FoSCoS applications, and check pack labels against FSSAI and Legal Metrology requirements. See our FSSAI licence service.