|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
FSSAI introduces new regn process for small-scale vendors and petty businesses
|
|
Friday, 10 April, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
|
The Food Authority has introduced a new registration process for small-scale food vendors, and petty food businesses. FSSAI has notified rules introducing ‘instant’ registration certificates and automatic recognition of such FBOs.
Under the amended regulations, ‘Petty Food Business Operators’ now include a broad range of entities such as food trucks, itinerant vendors, temporary stall holders, and those distributing food at religious or social gatherings. The definition also includes small-scale cottage industries and tiny food businesses, though it specifically excludes larger-scale caterers.
A key provision in the update allows the Food Authority to grant registration certificates instantly upon the submission of requisite documents. This ‘instant approval’ mechanism is intended to bring vendors into the formal regulatory system immediately, bypassing lengthy waiting periods that previously acted as a barrier to legal compliance for temporary or mobile stalls.
The new rules also create a legal bridge with the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act of 2014, as they specify that any vendor or food truck operator already registered under that Act will now be automatically ‘deemed registered’ under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006.
This eliminates the need for dual registration across different government departments.
As per FSSAI, despite the eased administrative process, the relaxation of paperwork does not mean a relaxation of safety. The rules prescribe that all operators, including those receiving deemed registrations, are legally mandated to comply with the hygiene and sanitary requirements specified in the existing food safety laws. Failure to maintain these standards can still lead to enforcement actions.
Furthermore, the Food Authority has updated its powers to specify turnover thresholds and classification criteria for various food businesses.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|