The FSSAI compliance year for a food business — annual return deadlines, the annual fee and Food Safety Compliance Report under the perpetual licence regime, FOSTAC training, hygiene audits, and what non-compliance costs.
FSSAI compliance changed shape when licences became perpetual. The renewal cycle that used to drive the calendar has been replaced by an annual fee and a compliance report, which means the deadline is easier to miss because nothing expires to remind you.
Perpetual licensing does not mean no annual obligation. Under the current regime a licence does not lapse on a fixed date, but an annual fee and a Food Safety Compliance Report must be filed on the FoSCoS portal. A business that treats "perpetual" as "nothing to do" accumulates a default that surfaces at inspection.
Annual Obligations
| Obligation | Due | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Annual return of food products handled | 31 May 2027, for FY 2026–27 | Manufacturers, importers and specified categories holding a State or Central licence |
| Half-yearly return | Within one month of the end of each half year | Businesses dealing in milk and milk products |
| Annual fee and Food Safety Compliance Report on FoSCoS | Annually, per the portal schedule | Licence holders under the perpetual regime |
| Food safety audit by a recognised agency | Annually, for notified high-risk categories | Specified manufacturers |
| FOSTAC-trained food safety supervisor in place | Maintained continuously; refresh per certificate validity | Food businesses above the specified size |
The annual return penalty accrues daily. Failure to file the annual return attracts a penalty of ₹100 for each day the default continues. It runs from the day after the due date and does not stop until the return is filed, so a return forgotten for a year costs far more than the effort of filing it.
Ongoing Through the Year
- Display the licence number on every food package and, for a food service establishment, at the premises.
- Maintain daily hygiene and cleaning records, pest control records, and temperature logs where cold chain applies.
- Medical fitness certificates for all food handlers, renewed annually.
- Water testing at the notified frequency where water is used in the product.
- Product testing from an accredited laboratory at the frequency your category requires.
- Internal food safety audits, quarterly as good practice.
- Label review whenever a recipe, supplier or pack size changes.
- Record of complaints and recalls, with the action taken.
Event-Based Filings
- Modification of the licence — apply whenever the premises, product categories, capacity, or the constitution of the business changes. Operating outside the scope of your licence is treated as operating without one.
- Change of address, which may also change whether you fall under State or Central licensing.
- Reporting of a food safety incident, promptly.
- Surrender of the licence if the business ceases, rather than simply abandoning it.
Which Licence Applies
| Category | Broadly applies where |
|---|---|
| Basic Registration | Petty food business operators with turnover up to ₹1.5 crore |
| State Licence | Turnover above ₹1.5 crore and up to ₹50 crore, with capacity limits by activity |
| Central Licence | Turnover above ₹50 crore, importers, exporters, e-commerce food operators, businesses operating in more than one State, and specified categories regardless of turnover |
Capacity thresholds — production quantity, number of vehicles, slaughter capacity — apply alongside turnover, so a business can require a higher category on capacity even at modest turnover.