The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) , which has been focusing on stricter enforcement actions against violation in recent months, has set up a dedicated cell for start-ups and emerging food brands. The regulator in a social media post said that the dedicated cell will facilitate guidance on licensing and registration, products standards, categories and approvals, labelling and ad claims, testing, imports, e-commerce compliances among others.
“India’s food start-up ecosystem is evolving rapidly but navigating food safety regulations can be challenging for first time founders. FSSAI has launched a dedicated Start-Up Cell to help emerging food businesses navigate compliance and food safety regulations with ease,” it said in a social media post.
The initiative will support start-ups by offering weekly online interactions for live query resolution as well as a dedicated email help desk is being set up for regulatory queries. At the same time, the initiative will also offer cross-divisional support through a seamless and co-ordinated guidance across FSSAI divisions, it added.
FSSAI said it hopes the initiative will enable start-ups to get easier access to regulatory guidance, provide better understanding of compliance requirements, which will lead to a reduced risk of avoidable errors. It said this will also serve as a channel for start-ups to share recurring regulatory challenges and lead to greater awareness about FSSAI portals and guidance materials, it added.
Published on October 22, 2026
