Flour has remained one of the fundamental ingredients for most Indian dishes for centuries. It has a strong bonding Indian culture and tradition. Given the present rate of population, the demand for high-quality flour is escalating every passing day. Thus, it is safe to say that starting a mill flour business can be a fruitful venture for an aspiring business mind out there. Since Mill Flour Business has a direct influence on public health, it attracts various regulations underpinned by the FSSAI. In the status quo, every mill flour business must abide by FSSAI’s norms and obtain the relevant license. FSSAI has stringent standards for non-registered entities. So it’s prudent to stay on the safer side and hence secure the registration on time. This write-up will discuss the regulations around FSSAI license registration for Mill Flour Business in detail. So stay tuned!
Why Mill Flour Business is a Profitable Venture?
In India, flour production and demand are increasing with time. It’s a challenge for present facilities to meet this ever-rising demand. And this underpins a perfect opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs. Given the stable demand and growth prospects, starting a mill flour business can land you in a good regime. However, the threshold of profit you would like to earn from this business will entirely depend on what scale you want to operate and the type of clients you wish to engage with. But profitability comes at a certain price. Undoubtedly, a flour business is a perfect venture to start with, but you must comply with certain legalities without a second thought. Obtaining an FSSAI License is one such legality to start this business venture.
Role of FSSAI License Registration for Mill Flour Business
Among the above registrations, the FSSAI license is the most important legal permit for flour mill facilities. FSSAI is an apex Government Body that oversees and regulates food businesses in India. It oversees the entire supply chain of food articles-starting raw material procurement to the selling of products. The institution ensures no one leverages adulteration or some other illicit technique to hamper the food quality. The ultimate goal of FSSAI is to prevent the FBOs (Food Business Operators) from adopting a mediocre approach towards food making or selling. FSSAI conducts its undertakings as per the FSS Act, 2006.
FSSAI License Registration for Mill Flour Business is an absolute necessity. Performing production undertakings without this license can lend your business serious legal trouble. Following are the types of FSSAI License Registration for Mill Flour Business
- Basic FSSAI Registration: Basic FSSAI Registration applies to those entities or businesses whose annual revenue is less than Rs 12 lacs.
- State FSSAI License: State FSSAI License applies to mid to large-sized businesses whose yearly income lies between Rs 12 lac to Rs 20 Crores.
- Central FSSAI License: Central FSSAI License regulates the bigger FBOs, which have an inter-state operation or yearly revenue above Rs 20 crores or both.
Different Licenses or Registrations Required to Start a Mill Flour Business
Every business entity needs to operate in a legalized way, and the mill flour business is no different. Following is the list of registration and legal permits that apply to this business venture.
- Company Registration
- Trade License accorded by the Municipal Corporation of the respective states.
- GST Registration, granted by the respective tax authority
- A permit from the FSSAI (Food Safety & Standard Authority of India)
- MSME Registration
- Pollution NOC from the State Pollution Control Board
- Import Export Certificate (if you wish to start overseas trading)
- BIS Certification
Documents Required to Get FSSAI License Registration for Mill Flour Business
Go through the following list to know the types of documents required for FSSAI License Registration for Mill Flour Business.
Basic FSSAI License
- Business certificate
- Trade license/Shop Act License
- GST certificate
- Business owner details
- Tenancy proof of the premises
State/Central FSSAI License
- ID Proof of the business owners
- Business address proof
- Import/Export Code -(if you wish to ship the flour to other nations)
- List of directors managing different spheres of the company as well as ID proof
- Memorandum of Association (MOA) & Articles of Association (AOA)
- Certificate of Incorporation granted under the Companies Act, 2013.
- Partnership Deed, if the entity’s legal structure is underpinned as per Partnership Act, 1932.
- NOC accorded by the respective Municipal Corporation
- Food Safety Management System Plan
- List of machinery and equipment present in the plant
- Power unit connection detail
- In-house lab detail
How to get FSSAI License Registration for Mill Flour Business?
FoSCoS[1] is FSSAI’s official web portal that facilitates various services, including licenses, to FBOs across India. By hopping on to this portal, you can easily create an account and apply for the relevant license. Here’s how you can proceed with the online process for FSSAI License Registration for Mill Flour Business:
- Visit the FoSCoS portal and create an account
- Navigate to the menu section and select the new application option
- Once the new page appears, select State followed by Yearly income
- Wait till the e-form appears on your screen.
- Fill in the personal and business-related detail in the given field.
- Provide the bank-related details of the business
- Upload the documents in the standard format
- Submit the Fees and note down the acknowledgement number for future reference.
Key points to ponder for starting a mill flour business
- Flour exists in various forms. These forms are the result of the type of raw material used. Some common flour types include the following;
- Wheat flour
- Corn flour
- Sooji flour
- Maida flour
- Gram flour
- Atta flour
- Bran
- A minimum area of 2000 sq. ft would be required to set up a fully-fledged mill flour business. The workplace area may vary depending on the scope of the operation. The space should have proper ventilation and ample visibility. Select the facility that has hassle-free road connectivity, and is near the raw material sources.
- Get in touch with subject matter experts or industries professional to avail a better understanding of the type of machinery required, minimum investment, and raw material requisites. In general, a fully-fledged mill floor facility harnesses the following equipment.
- Atomizing Dampener
- Destoner
- Centrifugal fan
- Scourer
- Flour-frequency cleaning sieve
- Dust collector
- Plansifter
- Flour cleaning machine
- Pneumatic flour mill machine
- Intensive Dampener
- Quality can be a major factor in deciding whether you want to rely on raw material sources or grow your produce. Although the latter option is the costly one, it would mitigate the raw material shortage issues. Plus, you have the choice to maintain desirable standards for quality produce.
- If the investment is a constraint for you, feel free to approach government agencies to access different financial schemes. The best thing about these schemes is that they adhere to nominal interest rates.
Conclusion
It is evident from the above that the FSSAI License Registration for Mill Flour Business is an absolute necessity. There is no way you can skip this license and continue performing your operation. Such an act can lend you serious legal trouble, which may also include jail terms. So it’s better to be on the safer side instead of acting irresponsibly. Establishing a fully-compliant production facility could be taxing for any new businessman. Somebody with nil business experience can find it hard to meet the pre or post-establishment legalities of any venture.
Read our Article:How to Obtain FSSAI License Registration for Ghee Business in India?
