The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026, introducing key changes to simplify registration and strengthen regulatory oversight. The amendment expands the definition of “petty food business operator” to include street vendors, hawkers, food trucks, temporary stall holders, and vendors distributing food at social or religious gatherings. It also provides that vendors registered under the Street Vendors Act, 2014 will be deemed registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act, subject to compliance with hygiene standards. The regulations allow instant registration certificates upon submission of required documents and empower FSSAI to prescribe turnover thresholds and eligibility criteria for licensing. Importantly, licenses or registrations will be deemed suspended if annual fees or returns are not filed, and food businesses cannot operate during suspension. The amendment also introduces risk-based inspections and mandatory third-party food safety audits, reinforcing compliance and improving food safety monitoring across India’s food sector.
FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 10th March, 2026
No. RCD-01002/1/2021-Regulatory-FSSAI-Part(1).—Whereas a draft of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2020 was published, as required under sub-section (1) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006), vide notification of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India number F. No. 15(6)2017/FLRS/RCD/FSSAI, dated the 17th November, 2020, in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part III, section 4,dated the 18th November,2020, inviting objections and suggestions from the persons likely to be affected thereby, before the expiry of the period of sixty days from the date on which the copies of the Official Gazette containing the said notification were made available to the public;
And whereas the copies of the said notification were made available to the public on the 24h November, 2020;
And whereas, the objections and suggestions received from the public in respect of the said draft regulations have been considered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India;
Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (o) of sub-section (2) of section 92 read with section 31 of the said Act, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, with the previous approval of the Central Government, hereby makes the following regulations further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, namely: –
1. (1) These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 (hereinafter referred to as the said regulations), in regulation 1.2, in sub-regulation 1.2.1, for clause 4, the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-
‘4. Petty Food Business Operator” means any food business operator, who manufactures or sells any article of food himself or a petty retailer, street food vendor, hawker, itinerant vendor or temporary stall holder or food truck or distributes foods including in any religious or social gathering, except a caterer or such other food business including small scale or cottage or such other industries relating to food business or tiny food business.’;
3. In the said regulations, in regulation 2.1,-
(a) in sub-regulation 2.1.1,-
(i) in clause (4), after the proviso, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:-
“Provided further that the Food Authority may grant registration certificate instantly on submission of requisite documents and the Food Authority may specify any condition or procedure in this regard.”;
(ii) after clause (6), the following shall be substituted, namely:-
“(7) Street food vendors, hawkers, food trucks, carts and any such other food businesses registered under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 (7 of 2014) shall be deemed registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act,2006 (34 of 2006):
Provided that the food business operators, including those exempted shall comply with hygiene and sanitary requirements specified in Schedule 4:
Provided further that the Food Authority may specify any condition or procedure in this regard for the purpose of this clause;
(8) The Food Authority may specify turnover threshold or any other classification criteria and registering authority for granting registration for various food business from time to time.”;
(b) in sub-regulation 2.1.2, after clause (5), the following clause shall be inserted, namely:-
“(6) The Food Authority may specify the eligibility criteria or conditions for commencing or carrying on food businesses and Licensing Authority for various food business from time to time.” ;
(c) for sub-regulation 2.1.7, the following shall be substituted, namely: –
“2.1.7 Validity of Registration and License.- (1) A license and registration certificate granted under these regulations shall be valid and subsisting, unless otherwise suspended, cancelled or surrendered.
(2) Any food business operator fails to pay the annual license fee or registration fee as specified by the Food Authority or fails to submit the return on or before the due date, wherever applicable, the license or registration shall be deemed suspended. The License so suspended shall be revoked after payment of the due annual fee or submission of the return along with due penalty, as the case may be, and during such suspension the food business operator shall not involve in any food business activity. Any food business activity carried out during the suspension period shall be deemed non-compliant of the provision of the Act and the regulations shall attract subsequent action including penalty under the Act.
(3) In the event of closure of business, the food business operator shall, within thirty days from the date of such closure, inform the concerned Licensing Authority or Registering Authority, as the case may be, in writing and surrender the registration certificate or license issued under these regulations.
(4) No refund of any fee paid under these regulations shall be admissible upon such surrender of registration certificate or license
(5) The Food Authority may specify any condition or procedure for the purpose of this sub-regulation.”;
(d) after sub-regulation 2.1.16, the following sub-regulation shall be inserted, namely: –
“2.1.17 Inspection and audit.- (1) The Food Authority shall ensure periodical inspection and food safety audit of the food businesses through its own or agencies authorised for this purpose by it.
(2) The Food Authority may provide a scheme of periodic inspection and food safety audit of the food businesses. Frequency and nature of inspections shall be determined through a dynamic risk-based mechanism, type of food business, past compliance history, third-party audit results and risk category of food handled.
(3) The Commissioner of Food Safety shall plans for periodic inspections of food businesses in the respective jurisdiction on the basis of risk associated with food and the establishment.
(4) The jurisdictional food safety officer or any officer specifically authorised by the Commissioner of Food Safety for this purpose shall carry out inspection of the registered or licensed food business operators periodically or as decided by the Commissioner of Food Safety as specified under clause (3).
(5) The food business operator, on the direction of the Commissioner of Food Safety or the Food Authority, shall be required to get a food safety audit done by a third party auditing agency or auditors recognised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, at its own cost. The food business operator shall grant access to the auditor and provide all records requested by them.”.
RAJIT PUNHANI, Chief Executive Officer
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./748/2025-26]
Note:—The Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part III, section 4 vide F. No. 2-15015/30/2010, dated the 1st August, 2011 and subsequently amended vide notification numbers, F. No. 2-15015/30/2012, dated the 10th June, 2014; F. No. 2-15015/30/2012, dated the 13th July, 2016; and F. No. Stds/O&F/Notification (6)/FSSAI-2017, dated the 24th October, 2017.
