What Is FSSAI and Does My Spice Exporter Need It?
FSSAI explained for spice buyers, and why it sits underneath a valid CRES registration.
What is FSSAI and does my Indian spice exporter need it?
FSSAI is India’s food-safety licence. A spice exporter effectively needs it because an FSSAI licence is one of the prerequisites for obtaining CRES, the mandatory registration to export the 52 scheduled spices. No FSSAI generally means no valid CRES.
- FSSAI status for CRES
- Required prerequisite
- Spices Board — Certificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices (CRES)
FSSAI and how it links to CRES
FSSAI is India’s food-safety licensing system. For a spice exporter it is not a standalone box to tick — it is one of the documents the Spices Board requires before it will issue CRES, alongside IEC, PAN, GST and a bank certificate.
So the two connect directly: a legitimate CRES-registered exporter will already hold an FSSAI licence. If a supplier cannot show FSSAI, question how they obtained CRES in the first place.
What to ask for
- The FSSAI licence, with the same legal name as the CRES and invoice.
- The CRES certificate it underpins (fee ₹5,000, valid 3 years).
- Consistency across FSSAI, CRES, IEC, GST — all one entity.
Frequently asked
Is FSSAI the same as CRES?
No. FSSAI is India’s food-safety licence; CRES is the Spices Board export registration. FSSAI is one of the prerequisites for CRES, so a real exporter holds both.
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Start a sourcing enquiry →What this page does not tell you
- FSSAI licence categories
- We do not detail FSSAI licence tiers or thresholds; the relevant point for buyers is that a valid FSSAI licence underpins a valid CRES.
Reviewed 16 July 2026.
Sources
- Spices Board — Certificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices (CRES)· Tier 1, retrieved 2026-07-16