FSSAI Compliance Support —
Before, During & After
the Inspection

FSMS documentation is legally mandatory only for Central FSSAI License holders — it's a requirement at the time of the DO inspection. However, any State License holder who processes, manufactures, or stores food at scale is strongly advised to maintain FSMS records because FSOs routinely check for basic food safety documentation during surprise inspections, and absence of records is penalised under Section 55 of the FSS Act. Basic Registration holders are generally exempt from formal FSMS requirements but should maintain basic hygiene records.

Missing the SCN reply deadline is extremely serious. FSSAI treats non-response as an implicit admission of the charge. The authority then proceeds to impose the stated penalty or take the indicated action — which could include a fine (up to ₹10 lakh for serious violations), license suspension, or in severe cases, prosecution under the FSS Act. The deadline is typically 15–30 days from the date of notice and cannot be extended except in exceptional circumstances with a prior application for extension.

No — obstructing or refusing entry to an FSO is a criminal offence under Section 32 of the FSS Act and carries imprisonment of up to 3 months plus fine. You must allow access to premises, equipment, documents, and samples. However, you have rights during an inspection — the FSO must produce authorisation, follow sampling procedures, provide receipts for samples taken, and you are entitled to retain a duplicate sample. TaxClue's live inspection support helps you exercise these rights correctly while cooperating fully with the FSO.

A food recall is triggered when a food product in the market is found to contain a hazard — microbiological contamination (Salmonella, E.coli), chemical contamination (pesticide residue, heavy metals), undeclared allergens, foreign material, or mislabelling of a critical safety parameter. Yes — you are legally required to notify FSSAI within 24–72 hours of identifying the issue under FSSAI's Product Recall Procedure 2019. Voluntary recalls reported promptly are treated far more favourably (reduced penalties, maintained license) than those discovered by FSSAI through complaints or testing.

If you've already signed an inspection memo with violations noted, contact TaxClue immediately. The memo is not a final penalty — it is the basis for a subsequent notice. You typically have 30 days from the date of the inspection report to demonstrate corrective action before a formal penalty notice is issued. TaxClue prepares a CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) plan, fixes the documentation gaps, and presents your corrective actions to the designated officer before the penalty is formally imposed. Early corrective action is the strongest mitigating factor recognised under the FSS Act.

Yes — and this is one of the most common combined engagements we handle. A business receives an SCN because the FSO found their FSMS documentation missing or inadequate during inspection. TaxClue simultaneously prepares the SCN reply (arguing that documentation has now been put in place as corrective action) and builds the FSMS documentation set that forms the evidence attached to that reply. Addressing both together produces the strongest possible response and significantly improves the outcome.