Legal Requirements for Frozen Food Manufacturer

Freezing food is an effective method of preserving the quality of nutrients. Though over a period of time (from the time of manufacture until eating) the color and texture might change, frozen food is considered safe for human consumption. A frozen food manufacturer needs to adopt best practices for manufacturing and packaging the food, so that the food does not lose its nutritional value throughout the entire chain – from manufacturing the food, filling and sealing it, freezing and storing it, transporting it to the time the customer thaws it, cooks it and eats it.

Some of the mandatory regulations that the frozen food manufacturer in India needs to comply with,

a.   Register the business as an OPC, LLP, PLC or partnership Firm; accordingly, draw up the Partnership Deed or the Articles of Association and Memorandum of Association and obtain the Certificate of Incorporation from the Registrar of Companies under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

b.   Registration of Trademark under the Trademarks Act, 1999 with the Trademark Registry working under the Ministry of Industry & Commerce.

c.   Register with the Goods and Services Tax authorities. The necessary documents that need to be submitted are – Pan Card and Aadhaar Card of the promoters; contact details of the promoters; items to be manufactured and sold; DSC; bank statement.

d.  Register with the Ministry of MSME for the Udyog Aadhaar. Documents required for this are the PAN and Aadhaar card of promoters; bank details; National Industrial Classification Code; total number of employees working; current activities of the firm.

e.  Get the FSSAI Registration. As per rules mentioned in the Food Safety and Security Act, 2006 and 2011, any food manufacturer – big or small – without the FSSAI license/registration cannot operate in the country and when found guilty of doing so, is liable to be awarded imprisonment and levied fine as penalty.



FSSAI License - A frozen food manufacturer will need to invest a good amount of money on the manufacturing premise and machinery. The stable power supply is vital for this industry. Depending upon the installed capacity of the plant, the promoters/partners can apply for either the Central or the State FSSAI license. The Central license is applicable for all food processing units with a capacity of processing 2 million tons per day whereas the state license is applicable for a unit with the capacity to process between 100 kg/liter to 2 million tons per day.

The Food Safety Management System (FSMS) has been developed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India with the intention to offer implementation guidance to all Food Business Operators (FBOs) - whether it is a manufacturing, storing, packaging or transportation unit so that the critical aspects related to food safety are followed and adhered to during the complete supply chain. The guidelines for each and every food product involved in the frozen food business – whether it is fish and fish products, meat and meat products, health supplements and nutraceuticals, vegetable edible oils, and fats - have been mentioned and can be downloaded from the website of FSSAI for ready reference. To further strengthen the food safety and security system, very soon, FSSAI will make it mandatory for all FBOs to have at least one FSSAI trained and certified professional present on the premises during business hours.

There are mandatory rules and regulations mentioned by FSS Act regarding labeling and packaging of the frozen food that needs to be followed by the manufacturer.

As a frozen food manufacturer in India, getting the mandatory registrations requires dedicated work as licenses and registrations take time, require detailed documentation following strict government regulations. We are experts at providing company registration services, GST registration and filing services, MSME and FSSAI registrations.