One of the most popular drinks in India is tea. It comes under the top ten non-alcoholic drinks in India. In order to start tea business in India ,many registrations, licenses and permits need to be obtained. Out of these requirements FSSAI License Registration also comes. To run this business related to tea, one needs to get a food license for a tea business in India. It is because all the things which humans are going to consume either directly or indirectly needs to be protected under the FSS Act of 2006 through this license called Food or FSSAI license. In the present blog we are going to discuss the entire process to get a food license for a tea business in India. Hence if you are thinking about starting your tea business in India you must go through this blog entirely because this is going to help you out while establishing your business.
What do you Understand by FSSAI Licensing?
In order to do food business in India one needs to obtain permission from the competent authorities to run food business in the market and this permission has been given in the form of food or FSSAI Licensing. This is the one permit which is compulsory to get for all the businesses which are including food either directly or indirectly. Similarly if you want to do tea business in India you need to obtain this permission from the competent authorities without which it is not possible to run a food business in India and that permission is known as FSSAI licensing. In order to get a food license for a tea business, follow the instructions given in the present blog.
Is FSSAI License Required for Running Tea Business in India?
Yes, to do tea business in India you need to obtain a food license because as per the FSS Act of 2006 one cannot run any food business in the market without having this license. Hence for the tea business as well one needs to get a food license for a tea business in India. If one is caught running any kind of food business without having a legal FSSAI license from the competent authorities his or her business may face heavy fines and penalties. Hence in order to save your tea business against any such fines and penalties you must get this license.
Why is it Mandatory to Get a Food License for a Tea Business?
Some people are having this myth that people can run food business in India without having this food license especially the small food business owners. But the reality is it’s not the truth. For doing any kind of food business you have to obtain this license. It is not a directory thing; it is mandatory to obtain this license in India to run any kind of food business in the Indian food industry. As tea also comes under the category of the food, hence for running business related to the same you need to get a food license for a tea business in India.
Types of Tea as per the FSSAI in India
There are various types of the tea as per the FSSAI in India and in order to do any type of tea business you need to get a food license for a tea business, some of the key types of teas given below:
- Green Tea
- Black Tea
- Oolong Tea
- White Tea
- Instant Tea
- Flavored Tea
- Herbal Infusion or Tisane
- Instant Tea Premix
Regulations that Governs Tea Business in India
Some of the key regulations that governs tea business in India are given below:
Regulation 7.3.11
This regulation is about the sale, distribution and promotion of a specific type of tea that is kangra tea. All the above mentioned acts related to sale, distribution or promotion of the kangra tea is possible only after it got marked and graded with all the compliances given under regulation 7.3.11 of the law which is called Agricultural Produce Act of 1937. It is not a directory provision hence the owner of the tea must comply with the same.
Regulation 7.3.12
Flavored tea is another type of special tea that comes under the ambit of the regulation 7.3.12. This particular type of tea cannot be sold in the land of India without certification and registration of the tea board. All the manufacturers of this tea need to obtain a certificate for registration from the tea board in order to deal in the flavored tea. Also the products which are used in order to get this tea flavored must be labeled on the product.
Laws that Governs the Tea Business in India
Some of the laws that are applicable on tea business either directly or indirectly in India are:
- Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
- Export Inspection Council (Tea Industry) Order, 1982
- Customs Act, 1962
- Plant Quarantine Order, 2003
- APEDA compliance needs to be done properly
- Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019
- Tea Act, 1953
Mandatory Labeling of Products in Tea Business in India
Some of the mandatory labeling of products in tea business, in order to get a food license for a tea business in India are:
- Product Name and Brand
- FSSAI License Number
- Net Quantity
- Ingredients
- Date of Manufacture and Best Before Date
- Country of Origin
- Nutritional Information
- Allergen Information
- Instructions for Use
- Batch Number
- Customer Care Information
- Storage Conditions
- Non-GMO and Organic Labels
- Declaration on Caffeine Content
Tea Products Testing and Approval Standards
Some of the key tea products testing and approvals includes the following:
NABL Labs
As mentioned in the present blog that food safety laws in India are very strict hence one needs to follow them appropriately. According to these food safety laws in India all the food businesses need to comply with the related laws and NABL is the authoring which will look after the same thing and check whether all the compliances as per the FSSAI is done or not.
FSSAI Approvals
In order to run this tea business in India one needs to comply with the FSSAI rules as well as regulations. Without these, one is not allowed to do any kind of food business in India. One of such compliance is FSSAI License registration approval from the competency authorities. Also one needs to comply with the labeling rules of the FSSAI, with this some of the local guidelines which has been mentioned under the FSS Act of 2006 is necessary to comply with.
Registration and Licenses for Tea Business in India
In order to run a tea business in India you need to obtain the registration or licenses given below which are in addison with the food license:
- Get the business registration for the business in order to obtain the reliability as well as credibility in the market
- If your business falls under the threshold limit of the GST, you must obtain GST registration
- For the registered business address you must get Shop and Establishment Certification
- Obtain all the local permissions from the local authorities like municipal corporation
- In order to run this business you need to obtain Trade Licence as well
- You must get MSME registration to get the various benefits of the government
- Obtain startup India registration it will also help you out to get vicarious advantages of the government schemes
How to Get a Food License for a Tea Business?
In order to get a food license for a tea business in India follow the steps given or mentioned below:
- The very first thing you need to do is check the eligibility criteria and under which type of FSSAI License your business is fall and accordingly proceed forward
- After that visit the official website and fill the form for the registration of the FSSAI License
- Attach all the documents with the application and fill the appropriate information
- After completing the form check it and then submit it by paying the required fees as per the food license you are obtaining
- Now the department will verify your application and if finds everything appropriate you will get your license
Key Documents Required to Get a Food License for a Tea Business in India
Some of the documents you must possess in order to get a food license for a tea business in India are:
- Identity and address proof of the key personals of the business
- One clear and recent passport size photograph of the key personals of the business
- Registered business address proof will be required
- Registered address proof can be a utility bill, electricity bill, gas bill etc
- In case the registered address is on rent then rent agreement will work
- List of all the tea which you are going to add in your business
- Business name will be required
- Contact detail of the key personals of the business
- Email address of the key persons of the business
Conclusion
There are various licenses, registrations, certifications as well as permissions that need to be obtained in order to run tea business in India. Out of all these things one of the most important is a food license. In order to get a food license for a tea business one needs to comply with the FSS Act of 2006. Without complying with this law, to get a food license for a tea business is impossible. Hence must get some knowledge about the same. If you are a layman and not aware about the process you can contact our team of experts who can help you out with the same.
