Registration and licences become mandatory for food businesses from November 1, from roadside pitha stalls to restaurants

To ensure safe food in the country and establish transparency and accountability in the food business, registration of designated categories of food businesses and licences for specialised food products are becoming mandatory from November 1.

Under the rule, a wide range of food businesses will be covered, from roadside pitha and puri-piyaju stalls to restaurants, bakeries and sweet shops. At the same time, the registration number of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) will have to be mentioned on food product packets.

The system is taking effect under the 'Safe Food (Registration and Licence) Regulations, 2026'. The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority announced the information in a notification on Wednesday (October 21).

The regulations, prepared at the authority's initiative, were published in the official gazette on July 16. Designated categories of food traders have been asked to apply for the applicable registration and licence from November 1.

Under the new rule, registration will be required not only for roadside pitha and puri-piyaju stalls but also for restaurants, bakeries, sweet shops, catering service providers, dairy product manufacturers, packaged food producers, food warehouses, cold storages and designated food importers and wholesale traders.

First-time registration for the 16 conventional categories of food business specified in the regulations will be free. However, for the production, processing, storage, import and marketing of specialised food products, the necessary approvals including a licence will have to be obtained according to the type of business. Running a business without registration or a licence will be considered a punishable offence under the Safe Food Act, 2013.

Licences will be required for the production, processing, storage, import and marketing of infant formula milk, special food made for elderly people and people suffering from specific diseases, health-supporting and supplementary food, special dietary food, probiotic and prebiotic food and nutraceuticals.

In addition, registration and licences must be ensured under the relevant conditions for genetically modified food, organic food, irradiated food, novel food, nutrient-enriched or fortified food, and products carrying health-support or disease-risk-reduction claims. In these cases, registration of the business establishment alone is not enough; additional approval may be needed depending on the type of product and activity.

Applications must be made by fulfilling the fees and conditions set in the regulations. The premises licence fee for an establishment of 100 square metres or less is Tk 10,000. On the other hand, the new licence fee for an establishment of more than 10,000 square metres is Tk 60,000.

The authority has asked traders to check the fees mentioned in Schedule-10 of the regulations and the conditions applicable to their own businesses before applying.

In the initial phase, applications for registration and licences can be made at the relevant district offices of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority. An initiative has also been taken to gradually introduce a fully online application system.

Under the new rule, the validity of registration and licences will be three years. They will have to be renewed when the term expires.

Under the new system, the BFSA registration number must be mentioned on food product packets. This will make it easier to identify the producing and marketing establishments. Consumers will also be able to learn about an establishment's registration from the packet and use the number when they need to complain.

However, having a registration number is not the ultimate guarantee of a product's safety. Other applicable rules and regulations must also be followed to maintain food quality.

The authority hopes that through the new system it will become easier to bring the food business under a systematic framework, increase transparency in the production and marketing of products, and ensure accountability in the case of consumer complaints.