What Are FSSAI Third Party Audits?
FSSAI third-party audits check the quality assurance of food businesses operators (FBO). They are evaluation mechanisms to check the food safety procedures of the operators. These audits are performed by agencies that have been approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
From August 2019, FSSAI Central License holders in high-risk sectors need to undergo these audits annually. The FSSAI audit report is crucial for submitting FSSAI annual returns. It’s also required for renewing your license.
Central-licensed FBOs need to complete this TPA audit. Skipping it can cause delays in your FSSAI license renewals. It may also create compliance issues during FSSAI audit inspections..
Which Sectors Must Undergo Mandatory Third Party Audits?
FSSAI doesn’t require all food businesses operators to take third party audits. Only FSSAI Central-licensed FBOs in high-risk sectors must do these third party auditing. FSSAI considers these sectors risky because of their operations or products these include:
- Dairy and dairy-based alternatives
- Meat, poultry, and their derivatives
- Seafood and processed fish items
- Egg processing units
- Food designed for nutritional or therapeutic use
- Large-scale caterers, hotels, and restaurants
- Non-Acoholic – Packaged Drinking Water
FSSAI recent Update: FSSAI has recently reclassified packaged drinking water as high risk foods. Review the latest notification.
FSSAI State license holders aren’t required to do these FSSAI audits. Still, voluntary Internal audits are recommended. They help businesses improve safety and build a better reputation.
Need to track your Internal Audit records? The myFssai platform offers dedicated audit modules for this. Download now and track your audit facility progress in real-time.
Why FSSAI Third Party Audits is Mandatory
FSSAI made third-party audits mandatory for high-risk food businesses to improve safety accountability. These audits ensure food production meets national hygiene standards. They provide structured assessments to verify compliance with Schedule IV of the FSSAI checklist
When selecting a third party agency, food businesses must ensure the agency is officially listed on FSSAI’s portal. FSSAI puts agencies through strict evaluations before recognizing them. This ensures they use consistent, unbiased, and scientifically sound auditing methods.
The FSSAI audit is calculated based on the number of on-site man-days required. These are determined by factors such as the number of food handlers, the scale of production, or the square footage of the operation. Here’s a simplified breakdown:
| Business Type | Key Parameters | Man-Days Required |
| Food Manufacturing | Staff strength, production complexity | 1–3 days |
| Hospitality & Catering | Number of food handlers | 0.5–2 days |
| Warehousing | Facility size in sq.ft | 0–1.5 days |
These timelines help FBOs plan ahead and ensure minimal disruption to daily operations.
Non-compliance of FSSAI Third Party Audits
FSSAI third party audit mandatory requirements strongly emphasize public food safety protection. Businesses that skip these audits or perform poorly face serious consequences
| Audit Requirement | Who It’s For | Risks of Ignoring It |
| Annual Third Party Audit | Central-licensed, high-risk FBOs | License suspension, delayed renewals |
| FSSAI-approved agency use | All audited FBOs | Audit invalidation |
| Timely submission of reports | Required during license renewal | Non-compliance notifications |
When you do regular FSSAI audits, you prove compliance and gain consumer and partner trust.
Why Choose Us for FSSAI Third Party Audits?
Because most food manufacturers don’t know when a mandatory audit is due and they often miss it unnoticed. Let Food Safety Works help you stay ahead.
Managing FSSAI third party audits is overwhelming for high-risk food businesses with daily operations. Food Safety Works helps simplify this process..
- Audit Preparation: Through our GAP audit as per FSSAI schedule IV, we help you figure out your compliance deviations. Get your documents reviewed, facilities, and hygiene protocols ready for audits.
- Seamless Agency Coordination: We liaise with recognized FSSAI Third party audit agencies to schedule and manage your audit smoothly.
- Post-Audit Compliance Support: From addressing non-conformities to assisting with CAPA documentation, we support you end-to-end.
- Time-Saving & Accuracy: Avoid costly errors, delays, or re-audits with our proven checklist approach.
- Trusted by Industry Leaders: We’ve helped hundreds of FBOs from Dairy manufacturers to large manufacturers or Corporate kitchens to pass their audits on the first attempt.
Get expert help with FSSAI third party audit mandatory requirements. Contact Food Safety Works today for seamless compliance support.
Check auditors availability today? Call us!
FAQs
1. Are third party audits required for every food business in India?
No, only those with FSSAI Central Licenses operating food business in high-risk areas are required to follow this annually.
2. What defines a high-risk food business?
Industries dealing with meat, dairy, eggs, seafood, and nutritional foods products typically fall under this high-risk category as per FSSAI regulations
3. Is it mandatory for FSSAI state license operators?
No, it’s not mandatory for FSSAI state license operators to proceed for the Third party audits, but they can be voluntarily done but highly recommended to improve credibility and prepare for scale.
4. Who can help manage the FSSAI audit process?
Food audit consultants like Food Safety Works can handle audit scheduling, paperwork, and help close compliance gaps.
