Checklist for FSSAI license for Importer.

META- Thinking of importing food products? Know all checklist of the legal compliances necessary for
importing food products in India.
Obtaining an FSSAI license. Obtaining a No Objection Certificate. Obtaining Clearance for Packaging and
Labeling. Obtaining Import Export Code or IEC. Other Documents Required.

India imports a lot of food products from all over the globe but is allowed to do so only by following the
restrictions and guidelines imposed on it by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Like every
food business operator, even importers of food products will also have to obtain an FSSAI license. FSSAI license
can be obtained through the FSSAI Central Licensing Process that is available online. This ensures that the food
products imported in the country do harm good health and are high in quality. Every food importer must follow
the compliances provided by the FSSAI to avoid infringements. Here is a checklist of those legal compliances
necessary for importing food products in India.

The importing companies need to apply for an FSSAI license that shall declare that the item the food business
operator is importing is not harmful and matches with the standards of quality prevalent in India. in order to obtain
this FSSAI Central License, one must follow the following steps:
 Register with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
 Obtain a valid Import-Export code or IEC.
 Obtain a license from the Central Licensing Authority for importing food articles.
 Food times should have at least 60% of the remaining shelf life at the time when they reach for Customs
clearance.

Obtaining a No Objection Certificate:

Obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) is very important to import foods articles in India. one cannot obtain
a license or import food products without obtaining a NOC. To obtain NOC, the following documents are required;

 Bill of Entry
 End-use Declaration: This is a declaration regarding food not being a genetically modified food.
 Country of Origin Certificate
 Importer Exporter Code (IEC) issued by DGFT.
 FSSAI food business license
 Depending upon the individual import items, other documents may also be required.

A prescribed fee has to be paid for the laboratory testing of the food samples. It is only when the food products
are of good quality with no visible insects and fungal infestation, the goods are passed. Also, the food products
must have at least 60% of the shelf life remaining at the time of Customs Clearance.

Obtaining Clearance for Packaging and Labeling:

Labels of the products play an important role while importing food products in India. the labeling and the
packaging of the imported food articles must be done in accordance with the FSSAI (Packaging and Labeling)
Regulation, 2011. The regulations details about the product specific labeling requirements that must mention
details regarding; volume of contents and the net weight, nutritional facts, expiry or best before date, description
of the product and its ingredients, declaration of vegetarian or non-vegetarian, halal or non-halal, batch number,
code number, lot number, name and address of the importer in India on the product packet.

In case the food consignments that are imported do not fulfill the requirements of the Act, special dispensation on
labeling is allowed to some extent for rectification at the warehouses bounded by the Customs. This can be done
by fixing a non-detachable sticker with details regarding; the name and address of the importer, FSSAI's logo and
license number, non-vegetarian or vegetarian logo, and the category or sub-category along which the generic
name, nature, and the composition of the food product lies.

Obtaining Import Export Code or IEC:

Import Export Code or IEC is required to import or export any good including food products in India. In order to
apply for IEC for importing food products, the importer shall apply it well in advise as it would be required for
obtaining an FSSAI Central License and NOC. The registration of IEC can be done online. The code is issued by
the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Once the code is received, it remains with the importer
throughout the life of the business entity. To obtain this code, the importer is required to submit PAN cars, passport
sized photographs, and the copy of the canceled cheque from the current account of the business.

Other Documents Required:

A few certificates are also required to import food products. These can be filed online depending upon the category
to which the product belongs. These include:
 Examination order by the Customs that is generated by the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system.
 Product Approval Certificate that is required apart from the preliminary documents. This certificate must
provide specifications of the products for submission with the Food Import Clearance System (FICS). For
instance;
o Permit for import issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, for importing primary
agricultural products and horticultural products.
o While importing livestock products a Sanitary Import Permit has to be obtained that is issued by the
Department of Animal Husbandry.
o Registration of import contracts with the Central Bureau of Narcotics.
o Certificate of Origin that s issued by an Authorized person or agency at the place of manufacturing or
processing of the imported good. In case the consignor's country of origin is different from the country
from which the goods are imported, Certificate of Origin shall contain all information regarding country
of origin.
o Certificate of Analysis along with the composition certificate is also required. In case of importing Wine
and Whiskey, a test certificate is also required.
o Phyto-Sanitary Certificate is required that is issued by the Plant Quarantine Department of the exporting
country. This is a must in case of horticultural or primary agricultural products which have fumigation
endorsements.
o Stuffing and packing list.
o List of transit country.
o For importing edible oils in bulk, Pumping Guarantee Certificate is mandatory.
o Commercial invoice according to the Bill of Entry.
o Temperature Chart, report or graph of the food consignment if it is being shipped under the Cold Chain
Technologies (CCT) from the port of origin to the point of import.
o High Sea Sale Agreement
o An Undertaking is required to be furnished by the importer declaring that in the absence of a
representative sample for laboratory analysis, the authority can break open the seal and collect the sample
from the consignment. In such cases, the Food Authority shall not be held responsible for any kind of
damage caused while withdrawing a sample.

The Checklist is huge, but it is important to ensure safe and wholesome food for human consumption. Importers
must concentrate on fulfilling these requirements in order to carry business lawfully and also because they might
be the consumers of imported products themselves. Often people resort to professional help while compiling these
documents and this is not a bad idea.