Regulations explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Regulations 1 to 3 of the School Food Regulations, 2020 say when the Regulations apply, define the key terms (school, School Authority, school campus, school meals) and put duties on the School Authority to make sure that every canteen, mess or caterer on campus is registered or licensed and that the food is safe and balanced.
The text is read as amended up to 4 September 2020 (the Regulations as notified; FSSAI lists no amendment as at 2 October 2026). FSSAI publications are reference copies and the Gazette text prevails. Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in. Schools and caterers who need registration or licence support can look at FSSAI compliance support.
The Regulations apply to all types of schools and to every food business serving school meals on campus. A School Authority that sells or caters meals itself must register as a food business operator; one that contracts a caterer must make sure the caterer is registered or licensed. Compliance is due from 1 July 2021, except regulation 3(5) and regulation 5(1), which start only on a date the Food Authority notifies.
Regulation 1: title and commencement
Regulation 1(1) gives the title. Regulation 1(2) says the Regulations come into force on the date of publication in the Official Gazette, and that the food business operator "shall comply with all the provisions of these regulations with effect from 1st July, 2021". Two provisions are carved out: sub-regulation (5) of regulation 3 and sub-regulation (1) of regulation 5. These come into force only from such date as the Food Authority may appoint by notification in the Official Gazette. The text gives no date for them. Anyone relying on those two provisions should check on fssai.gov.in whether a notification has been issued. They are described in the next article, regulations 4 to 6 and the Schedule.
Regulation 2: the definitions
Regulation 2(1) defines eleven terms. The ones that decide who is covered are:
| Term | Meaning, as printed |
|---|---|
| School | All types of schools, whether pre-primary, primary, elementary, secondary, day care or crèche (excluding crèches or day care for infants or children up to the age of twenty-two months), or boarding, run by private entities, local bodies, government or aided by government |
| School Authority | Head of the Institution such as Principal or Headmaster, Governing Body, Trust or any other entity set up to govern and manage the school |
| School campus | All areas of the property under the jurisdiction of the school that are accessible to students during school hours, and to residents of boarding schools or hostels |
| School meals | All food and beverages sold or supplied in the school campus through canteens, school mess, hostel kitchens, vending machines or any other method, including meals served through mid-day meal kitchens and catered for students by the school |
| Department of School Education | The nodal department of the concerned Central, State or Union Territory administration that looks after school education, irrespective of nomenclature |
| Food handler | A person who directly handles packaged or unpackaged food, food preparation equipment and utensils or food contact surfaces |
| Food Safety Display Board | An informative board displaying the registration or licence number of the food business operator, basic food hygiene and safety tips, and a mechanism for obtaining consumer feedback |
| Food Safety Supervisor | A person appointed by the food business operator who holds a valid food safety certificate of training approved by the Food Authority |
The other three terms are "Act", "food safety" (assurance that food is acceptable for human consumption according to its intended use) and "balanced diet" (one that provides all the nutrients, including the essential micronutrients, in required amounts and proper proportions). Regulation 2(2) borrows the meanings of undefined words from the Act, Rules and Regulations. Section 3 of the Act is explained in our article on definitions of food safety, label and misbranded food.
One drafting point: the definition of "school" leaves out day care for children up to twenty-two months, while regulation 4(5) later speaks of crèches or day care for children up to twenty-four months. The text is read as printed.
Regulation 3: the responsibilities of the School Authority
Regulation 3 has seven sub-regulations. Sub-regulations (1) to (4) concern registration and hygiene:
- 3(1) A School Authority selling or catering school meals by itself in the school campus shall register as a food business operator from the concerned authority under the Act, Rules and Regulations, and ensure that the food is safe and balanced.
- 3(2) A School Authority that enters into a contract or transaction with food business operators selling or catering school meals on the campus shall ensure that they are duly registered or licensed, and that the food is safe and balanced.
- 3(3) The Department of School Education shall ensure that all food business operators contracted by it for operating the mid-day meal scheme are registered or licensed, and that the food is safe and balanced.
- 3(4) Food business operators selling or catering food on the campus shall comply with the sanitary and hygienic practices for food manufacturers in Schedule 4, and with the Food Safety Display Board and Food Safety Supervisor requirements, as specified in the Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses Regulations, 2011.
The rules on registration and licence categories belong to the Licensing Regulations and are not repeated in the school text. Our article on regulation 2.1.2 of the Licensing Regulations explains the licence, and the article on FSSAI licence for a school canteen looks at the practical side.
Sub-regulations (5), (6) and (7) deal with high saturated fat, trans-fat, added sugar or sodium (HFSS) foods: the School Authority must ensure there is no sale of such products on the premises, a warning board at the entrance gate or gates, and no advertisement banner or wallpaper for such foods on school computers. They begin on the date the Food Authority notifies as to (5), and are covered in article 073.
Who does what
| Party | Duty under regulation 3 |
|---|---|
| School Authority running its own canteen | Register as a food business operator; keep food safe and balanced |
| School Authority using a caterer | Check that the caterer is registered or licensed; keep food safe and balanced |
| Department of School Education (mid-day meal) | Check that contracted operators are registered or licensed |
| Any operator on campus | Schedule 4 hygiene, Food Safety Display Board, Food Safety Supervisor |
An invented example
Hillview Public School runs a day school with a canteen operated by its Trust and a separate vending machine supplied by Rasoi Snacks Pvt Ltd. For the canteen, the Trust is the School Authority selling meals by itself: it must register as a food business operator and keep a Food Safety Display Board showing the registration number and a feedback mechanism. For the vending machine, the school must make sure Rasoi Snacks holds the registration or licence its activity needs, since "school meals" include food sold through vending machines.
Need help with a school canteen or caterer?
Schools often discover too late that the canteen, the vending machine and the hostel kitchen are three separate food businesses. Our FSSAI compliance support service helps a School Authority map each of them, check the paperwork a caterer holds and keep the display board and supervisor requirements in order.
Key takeaways
- The Regulations cover all school types, including boarding schools, and school meals include vending machines and hostel kitchens.
- A School Authority selling meals itself must register as a food business operator (regulation 3(1)).
- It must check that contracted caterers are registered or licensed (regulation 3(2)).
- Regulation 3(4) brings in Schedule 4 hygiene, the Food Safety Display Board and the Food Safety Supervisor.
- Regulation 3(5) and regulation 5(1) start only from a date the Food Authority notifies.
Read next
- Regulations 4–6 and the Schedule: balanced diets and HFSS foods near schools
- Safe Food in Schools Regulations 2020: an overview
- FSSAI licence for a school canteen
- Regulations 8–10 and Schedules of the Surplus Food Regulations
Disclaimer: Based on the FSSAI regulations named above as consolidated in FSSAI's compendium versions or as published in the Gazette, with the later notifications the article names (consulted on fssai.gov.in on 2-3 October 2026). Later notifications and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provisions referred to should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.