Nov 11, 2020
– FSSAI Registration is mandatory for all home-chefs
– State license for those earning below Rs. 12 lakh turnover per annum & central license for those above Rs. 12 lakh turnover per annum
– To sell online, a central license is required
– Getting a license takes between two weeks and a month
The closure of eateries during pandemic has transformed many people with culinary skills into home-chefs. The outcome has created a category of people as cooks for those who lost jobs in the process. Very recently, it has come to light that all home-chefs are required to have a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) registration number without which they cannot operate on this newfound business. The news has many home-chefs rushing for the registration process. With penalty swinging, some fearing they may have to pay a fine of Rs. 5 lakhs or face the greater cost of cell time.
The Registration process is quite easy
A professional-turned-home-chef, Bharavi says that he got to know about the rule a few weeks ago and without wasting any has applied for his license number. “The onus is on us (home-chefs) to see what rules and regulations apply to our business. I applied and am set to get my registration number soon. It is a simple, online process – all you need to do is submit a few documents and provide information on the FSSAI website. If you are not tech-savvy, then there are people who will do it for a nominal fee,” said Bharavi.
Points to be noted while applying…..
“No need to panic”, said F&B Consultant Neetha Bhoopalam. “Just need to apply as per the rules. I’ve helped a lot of people get their FSSAI numbers. There are two types of FSSAI numbers that people need to look at – ‘Manufactured by’ and ‘Marketed by’. Those who are sourcing materials from someone else and selling them under their brand need to apply for a ‘Marketed by’ FSSAI number. Those who are preparing food from scratch and selling need to apply for a ‘Manufactured by’ FSSAI number,” Neetha added on, “Depending on the number of years, you want to opt for the registration (can be from 1-5 years), the fees for the same including the government fee and department charges range from Rs. 1,500-5,000 approximately.”
Online selling will need a Central license
“One can apply for a state license or a central license. Home-chefs whose annual turnover is below Rs. 12 lakhs need to apply for a state license and those earning above Rs.12 lakhs need to apply for a central license – depending on the category of the product. However, if you wish to sell through e-commerce, then you will have to apply for a central license,” informed Neetha.