Food safety reforms: perpetual FSSAI licences, registration limit raised to ₹1.5 crore, street vendors deemed registered
The Union Health Ministry approved food-safety reforms on 13 March 2026, including perpetual validity of FSSAI registrations and licences and a higher turnover limit for basic registration.
Summary
The Union Health Ministry approved a set of regulatory and procedural reforms to food-safety rules on 13 March 2026, in line with recommendations of NITI Aayog's High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms. FSSAI registrations and licences will now have perpetual validity, removing periodic renewals. From 1 April 2026 the turnover limit for basic registration rises from ₹12 lakh to ₹1.5 crore, State licensing covers businesses up to ₹50 crore and central licensing applies above that. Street food vendors registered with municipal corporations or town vending committees under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 will be treated as registered with FSSAI, which the ministry said would help more than 10 lakh vendors. FSSAI itself is an independent statutory body set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with its head office in Delhi and the Health Ministry as its administrative ministry.
Key facts
- Date
- 13 March 2026
- Licences
- Perpetual validity for FSSAI registrations and licences
- Registration limit
- ₹12 lakh → ₹1.5 crore turnover (from 1 April 2026)
- State licence
- Up to ₹50 crore; central licence above
- Street vendors
- Deemed registered if registered under Street Vendors Act, 2014; 10 lakh+ benefit
- Basis
- NITI Aayog High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms
- FSSAI
- Statutory body under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; HQ Delhi
Practice MCQs 3 questions
Under the food-safety reforms approved on 13 March 2026, what is the new turnover limit for basic FSSAI registration from 1 April 2026?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — ₹1.5 crore
The limit rises from ₹12 lakh to ₹1.5 crore; ₹50 crore is the new upper limit for State licensing.
Street food vendors registered under which law will be deemed registered with FSSAI under the March 2026 reforms?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014
Vendors registered with municipal corporations or town vending committees under the Street Vendors Act, 2014 will be deemed registered, benefiting over 10 lakh vendors.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is:
Show answer
Correct answer: C — A statutory body set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
FSSAI is an independent statutory authority established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with its head office in Delhi; the Health Ministry is its administrative ministry.