On September 30, FSSAI announced removing the option for hawkers to choose a one- to five-year registration validity period and registration fees instead of offering a five-year registration certificate.

Hawkers’ Registration

According to the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011, all small food business operators must register with the relevant authority. To accomplish this, they must submit Form A, which serves as the registration application, along with an annual fee of Rs. 100.

All vendors who update their registration certificates will also benefit from this reduction in registration fees. FSSAI has made a significant move to support the street food industry by waiving the registration fee and providing a five-year registration in one go.

What is the Identity of Hawkers?

A hawker is someone who sells prepackaged or freshly made food while moving from one place to another, typically on foot or using a mobile cart.

Effective Date

The exemption from the hawkers’ registration fee will take effect on September 28, 2024. The category ‘Food Services Hawker (Itinerant/Mobile Food Vendor)’ falls under the FoSCoS classification for hawkers eligible for registration. However, reimbursement will not be provided for payments made for applications that have already been submitted and are currently undergoing processing before September 28, 2024.

On July 20, 2024, Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda directed FSSAI to waive the Rs. 100 registration fees for street food vendors. He stated, “To encourage vendors and promote more registrations, FSSAI would waive the Rs. 100 registration fee for street food vendors.”

This initiative aims to support the Food Safety Authority of India’s (FSSAI) efforts to promote and raise awareness of food safety regulations in this sector.

Source: Foodtech News