New Delhi, March 14: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has approved significant regulatory reforms under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). These reforms aim to enhance the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ while strengthening food safety standards. The changes were implemented following recommendations from a high-level committee of the NITI Aayog and extensive consultations with states and stakeholders.
One of the most crucial reforms is the decision to grant ‘perpetual validity’ to FSSAI registrations and licenses. Previously, food business operators (FBOs) were required to renew their registrations and licenses regularly, leading to repeated paperwork, fees, and interactions with officials. The new perpetual validity will significantly reduce compliance costs and time, allowing regulatory resources to focus more on enforcement, monitoring, and capacity building.
Other key changes, effective from April 1, 2026, include raising the turnover limit for registration from ₹12 lakh to ₹1.5 crore. The state license limit has been set at ₹50 crore, with central licenses applicable for amounts exceeding this threshold. This will enable state authorities to better monitor, facilitate, and enforce food safety within their jurisdictions. Particularly for micro and small enterprises (MSMEs), these reforms will simplify compliance, eliminate the need for pre-inspections, and provide immediate registration facilities.
In a significant relief for street food vendors, those registered under the Street Vendors Act, 2014, will now be considered ‘deemed registered’ under FSSAI. This change will free over 1 million street vendors across the country from the dual registration process with various departments, allowing them to focus more on their livelihoods, hygiene, and business.
Additionally, a risk-based, technology-driven inspection framework has been introduced. Inspections will now be based on the nature of the food item, past compliance records, third-party audit performance, and other inputs. This will reduce the burden on compliant businesses while increasing scrutiny on rule violators.
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