FSSAI mandates visible display of licence certificate, Food Safety Connect App QR Code across all food establishments

INDIA – The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has implemented a new  mandate requiring all food business operators, including restaurants, cafés, eateries, and retail food outlets, to display their FSSAI licence or registration certificate along with a QR code for the Food Safety Connect app.

This certificate and the QR code must be placed in highly visible locations, such as entrances, billing counters, or seating areas, ensuring customers can easily view them upon entering or while dining.

The QR code is integrated into the FSSAI licence paperwork, allowing consumers to verify an establishment’s licensing details instantly.

By scanning the QR code with a smartphone, customers are directly connected to the Food Safety Connect app, which empowers them to lodge complaints about food safety or hygiene, report misleading product claims, and check if the outlet is officially compliant with food safety regulations.

The QR code is also required to be available on digital assets, including business websites and online ordering platforms, wherever applicable, ensuring accessibility for both dine-in and digital customers.

This regulatory move is designed to advance public health measures, strengthen surveillance, and reinforce the food safety ecosystem across India.

With this system, consumer grievances registered through the Food Safety Connect app are routed automatically to the regional jurisdictional authority, facilitating prompt action and reducing bureaucratic delays in addressing complaints.

FSSAI’s guidance specifically links this rule to Condition No. 1 of the FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, which already mandates public display of licences but now incorporates the unique digital element for increased transparency.

Failure to comply could result in serious consequences, ranging from heavy penalties to suspension of operating licences, as outlined in the Food Safety and Standards Act.

FSSAI has encouraged all food business operators to educate both staff and patrons about this new requirement, maintain up-to-date certification, and ensure timely, effective responses to any issues raised by consumers.

Food safety experts and advocacy groups across the country are welcoming this change, calling it an important milestone in building a more transparent, accountable, and consumer-friendly food service ecosystem.

By using digital solutions for real-time problem resolution, consumers are empowered to demand safer food and improved practices in every food establishment they visit.

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