FSSAI mandates Restaurants to mention FSSAI Licence Number on bills from October

Ashish M. Shaji

07 Jul, 2021

All restaurants and food business operators must mandatorily mention the FSSAI Licence Number or registration number on cash receipts or purchase invoice from October 1 2021. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India mentioned that such declaration will facilitate the customers to complain in case of any grievance with the Food Business operator. 

What do you mean by FSSAI Licence Number?

A FSSAI licence number is a 14-digit number that is given to a registered Food Business Operator (FBOs). It comprises of 5 sections, each of them offering different information about the food business operator. It has to be affixed on the package of the food product, with the FSSAI logo.

• Section 1- First digit indicates the status- whether the food business is registered or not.
• Section 2- The second and the third digit indicates- the state code, which specifies the state where the business is registered.
• Section 3- The fourth and fifth number specifies about the year in which the food business is registered.
• Section 4- The sixth, seventh and eight number helps you to know the quantity of enrolling master.
• Section 5- Ninth to Fourteen is the Makers license number.

Licence number on the Bills/Invoice

FSSAI, vide order dated 8^th June, directed all food business operators to mention license number/registration number effective from 1^st October on cash receipts, invoices, bills. Further, the order stated that no new transaction document has to be issued, and the existing tax and regulatory requirements is to be leveraged. Therefore the license number and the registration number on the existing invoice by the FBO under GST is enough.

Objective and the implication of this move

India has a large food business ecosystem, and the 14-digit FSSAI license number of a food business operator is not easily visible or available to consumer or to the service recipient. If FSSAI number is not available to a consumer, then in case of any grievance, he may not be able to complain about the same easily.

In fact, regulators also find it difficult to trace the origin of the complaint and address it promptly. Further, no database can be created without a unique locator code, which is the FSSAI number in the case of food safety.

Therefore considering all these factors, the Food regulator has made these changes which can assist the consumers greatly. Currently, the FSSAI number has to be presented on the packaged food labels, but the problem lies primarily in case of establishments like restaurants, mithai shops, caterers, retail stores etc.

Now it is mandatory to declare the 14-digit FSSAI Licence or Registration No. on cash receipts, purchase invoice, cash memo, bills etc., after the approval of the Food Authority, by all food businesses.

Here the only exemption is the GST E-way bills and other government documents which are system generated. Further, FSSAI said that it is ensuring that there would be minimum compliance costs for food businesses. The policy aims to leverage the existing commercial transaction practice and the regulatory requirement under laws of taxation. Thus it seeks to maintain minimum compliance costs and still have enhanced data dissemination and disclosure.

Not mentioning the 14-digit FSSAI Licence or Registration Number will treated as a non-compliance or non-registration/licensing by the food business.

As complaints remain unresolved because of the lack of specific information, this decision by the FSSAI will assist consumers to-

• Lodge a complaint online against a particular food business using the FSSAI number in case of an issue.
• Consumers can also access a particular food business which is publicly available at FSSAI portals.
• For accessing information about FSSAI license or FSSAI registration, the consumer can visit the “FSSAI portal^[1]” or the “Food Safety Connect” app by entering the 14 digit FSSAI License or Registration Number.
• Mentioning this FSSAI number will also improve the overall awareness.

Conclusion

FSSAI aims to improve the grievance redressal mechanism by easing the method of lodging online complaints through FSSAI licence number. This will make consumers equipped with specific information that is required for quick disposal of grievances, and it will also improve the overall awareness and thereby enhancing the parameters of food safety and standards in India.

Read our article:Do Industrial Canteens require FSSAI License?