At a fast food joint, a customer gets to buy fast food – one that requires minimal time in preparation of food and a nominal amount of service at the tables. The ingredients of the food are usually stored in the frozen, preheated or precooked format and hence are served quickly in a packaged form that is easy to eat at the joint or take-away. Since it is a type of restaurant and deals in the manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of food, the joint has to be licensed by the Food Safety Standards and Authority of India (FSSAI).
The FSSAI license is a fourteen digit number that provides information about the food operator’s license or registration. This number is divided into 5 parts – first digit indicates that the FBO is a registered license holder; the next two digits indicate the state code; the next two digits indicate the year of registration with FSSAI; the next three digits denote the registering authority and last 6 digits stand for the FBO’s license/registration number.
As a food manufacturer, a fast food joint has to either take the FSSAI Central license or the state license depending on the expected turnover of the business annually. In case the food joint is present in multiple locations in India in different states, then the state license needs to be procured from the respective state licensing authorities. In this case, the central license is also required because of its multi-location presence.
As per FSSAI regulations, the fast food joint needs to put up the license number on a Food Safety Display Board in the premises of the joint. Along with the license number, the board also requires to detail out 12 golden rules prescribed by the FSS Act, 2006 for restaurants that pertain to observing hygienic practices within the premises of the joint.
Registering for the license for the first time can be done online from FSSAI website direct by filling out Form B. The supporting documents that are required to be submitted are – Aadhaar and PAN card details of the owner; passport size photograph of the owners; utility bills as proof of ownership of the premise or lease agreement in case of rented property. The license fee also needs to be deposited along with the form and documents. Once the validity of the license nears expiry, the owner needs to renew the license.
Along with the establishment will also require other licenses and permissions also like Trade License from the Municipal authorities of the area, registration under shop and establishment Act etc.
