**Executive Summary**
On June 26, 2026, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notified the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026. These amendments rationalized compliance by restricting mandatory record-keeping and FIFO/FEFO stock rotation requirements solely to food manufacturing businesses. The move aims to enhance the ease of doing business by reducing the regulatory burden on non-manufacturing entities while maintaining essential safety standards.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Regulatory Amendments**
* Amends the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
* Limits the requirement for maintaining records and adhering to First In First Out (FIFO) or First Expiry First Out (FEFO) stock rotation practices strictly to food manufacturers.
* Exempts non-manufacturing food businesses, such as retailers and similar entities, from these specific record-keeping and stock rotation mandates.
**Strategic Objectives**
* Focuses on risk-based, outcome-oriented regulation where controls are most critical for food safety and product traceability.
* Aims to significantly reduce the compliance burden on small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
* Aligns with the recommendations of NITI Aayog’s High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms to eliminate unnecessary regulatory hurdles.
**Broader Reform Context**
* Complements existing reforms including perpetual licenses, revised turnover thresholds, and the removal of dual compliance for street food vendors.
* Maintains a commitment to science-based regulations and a risk-based inspection system.
* Finalized following extensive consultations with States, Union Territories, and food business stakeholders.
**Impact Analysis**
**Food Manufacturing Businesses**
**Impact**
These entities remain subject to existing regulations as stock rotation and record-keeping are deemed critical for food safety, quality assurance, and traceability in manufacturing.
**Action Required**
Must continue to maintain rigorous records and adhere to FIFO/FEFO principles to ensure compliance with safety standards.
**Non-Manufacturing Food Businesses (Retailers and SMEs)**
**Impact**
Experience a significant reduction in compliance burdens due to the exemption from mandatory stock rotation record-keeping.
**Action Required**
Can streamline operational processes by removing the administrative overhead of maintaining specific FIFO/FEFO documentation, though general food safety safeguards must still be upheld.
**Government and Regulatory Authorities**
**Impact**
The amendments foster a more transparent, efficient, and business-friendly regulatory ecosystem.
**Action Required**
Focus oversight and resources on high-risk manufacturing areas while implementing the simplified risk-based inspection system for the broader food sector.
Key Entities Referenced
Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026: The specific regulatory amendments introduced to rationalize record-keeping and stock rotation requirements for non-manufacturing food businesses.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The nodal ministry that notified the amendments as part of a broader agenda for regulatory reforms and ease of doing business.
Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011: The principal regulations being amended to exempt retailers and other non-manufacturing entities from certain compliance burdens.
High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms: A committee constituted by NITI Aayog whose recommendations on reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens informed these amendments.
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006: The parent legislation under which the food safety licensing and registration regulations are framed.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Notifies
Amendments to FSSAI Licensing and
Registration Regulations to Enhance Ease of
Doing Business
Record-keeping and FIFO/FEFO stock rotation requirements
rationalised for non-manufacturing food businesses while
maintaining critical food safety safeguards
प्रव तथ: 26 JUN 2026 12:39PM by PIB Delhi
In line with the Government's commitment to fostering a transparent, efficient and business-friendly
regulatory ecosystem, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified amendments to the Food
Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 under the Food
Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The amendments, notified through the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food
Businesses) Amendment Regulations, 2026, seek to rationalise compliance requirements for food
businesses while ensuring that essential food safety and traceability measures continue to be maintained
where they are most relevant and necessary.
Under the existing regulatory framework, all licensed food businesses were required to maintain records
and adhere to stock rotation practices based on the principles of First In First Out (FIFO) or First
Expiry First Out (FEFO). Following the amendment, these requirements will now be applicable only to
food manufacturing businesses, where such controls are critical for ensuring food safety, quality assurance
and product traceability.
Non-manufacturing food businesses, including retailers and other similar entities, have been exempted
from these requirements. The move is expected to significantly reduce the compliance burden on food
business operators, particularly small and medium enterprises, while maintaining robust food safety
oversight in areas where such controls are essential.
The amendment is part of the Ministry's broader agenda of regulatory reforms aimed at improving the ease
of doing business and promoting risk-based, outcome-oriented regulation in the food sector. Over the past
few years, several measures have been introduced to simplify compliance for food business operators,
including the provision of perpetual licences and registrations, revision of turnover thresholds, removal of
dual compliance requirements for street food vendors, and implementation of a risk-based inspection
system.The reforms have been finalised after extensive consultations with States and Union Territories as well as
stakeholders from across the food business ecosystem. The amendments are also aligned with the
recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms constituted by
NITI Aayog, which emphasised the need for reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens while ensuring
effective oversight.
The Ministry remains committed to strengthening India's food safety framework through science-based
regulations, stakeholder consultations and regulatory simplification measures.
*****
SR
HFW/ FSSAI Amendment 2026 /26 June 2026/2
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