Govt moves to make food business registration, licensing mandatory for greater accountability

The government has taken an initiative to establish accountability in food management - from production to marketing - by making registration and licensing mandatory for food businesses.

Under the new regulations, which will come into effect on 1 November licences will be mandatory for specified categories of special food products manufactured for children, elderly people and individuals suffering from particular diseases.

Besides, street food stalls and small restaurants, as well as large food processing establishments and importers, will also have to comply with the new provisions.

The requirement to display the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) registration number on food product packaging will also enable consumers to identify the source of food and lodge complaints about irregularities.

The Safe Food (Registration and Licensing) Regulations, 2026 have been formulated to protect public health, ensure food safety and establish discipline in food businesses.

Published in the government gazette on 16 July, the regulations make registration and licensing mandatory for specified categories of food businesses and food products.

Chairman of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (Additional Secretary) Md Shafiqul Islam told BSS that an effective registration and licensing system for food businesses would help control the production and marketing of unsafe food, establish accountability among business establishments and create a framework for resolving consumer complaints.

He said the regulatory system could be strengthened particularly for sensitive products such as infant formula, fortified foods, health-supporting foods and special dietary foods intended for people suffering from diseases.

He said the primary objectives of the initiative were to bring food businesses under a registration system, improve their skills and awareness, identify food safety risks quickly and establish accountability in the sector.

The chairman said registration alone would not ensure food safety; several effective measures would be needed.

Bringing food businesses under a comprehensive registration system would facilitate training, increase public awareness and help establish discipline in the sector, he said.

At the same time, having precise information about who operates food businesses and where they operate would make it possible to identify the relevant businesses quickly in cases involving foodborne health risks or complaints.

Plans are in place to provide registered food business operators with training through both direct and digital methods.

Awareness could be raised by inviting them to designated venues or organising training sessions at different locations.

He said digital platforms could also be used to regularly provide training materials, videos and necessary guidelines.

Small business operators now also have smartphones and use digital platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.

These platforms could be used to provide regular training and updated information on personal hygiene, hygienic food preparation and serving practices, and proper food storage, he added.

According to BFSA provisions, registration is required for 16 specified categories of food businesses and food establishments.

Meanwhile, licences have been made mandatory for four specified categories of businesses dealing in specialised food products.

These categories include the production, processing, storage, import and marketing of health-supporting and supplementary foods; special dietary foods and foods for special medical purposes; probiotic and prebiotic foods; and nutraceuticals and similar products.

Prof Abdul Kader, a paediatrician at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told BSS that ensuring the safety of specialised food products for children and elderly people was one of the most important aspects of the regulations.

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He said these products played a role in children's normal growth and development and in meeting the nutritional needs of elderly people.

Similarly, the quality and safety of special dietary foods intended for people suffering from specific diseases were extremely important.

Establishments involved in the production, processing and marketing of these products would have to obtain licences in accordance with the regulations, he said.

However, not all food products for children and elderly people would automatically fall under the same licensing requirements.

Registration or licensing would apply according to the relevant product category and the conditions specified in the regulations.

In addition, genetically modified or altered foods, organic foods, irradiated foods, novel foods, fortified foods, and foods carrying claims of health benefits or reduced disease risk would require registration and licensing in accordance with the applicable provisions.

This would create scopes for stronger regulatory oversight of the production and marketing of food products with special characteristics.

Under the new provisions, restaurants, bakeries, fruit juice shops, pastry shops, catering establishments, sweet shops, dairy product manufacturers, packaged food producers and importers in specified categories would have to obtain registration.

Street vendors selling pitha, puri, peyajus and other food items would also have to register under the applicable provisions.

Registration or licensing requirements would also apply to specified businesses involved in wholesale food trading, food warehouses, cold storage facilities, edible oil and edible salt production, and food additives.

An important aspect of the regulations is the requirement to display the BFSA registration number on food product packaging.

This will enable consumers to obtain information about the registration of the relevant establishment directly from the product packaging.

It will also provide an opportunity to lodge complaints about irregularities by citing the registration number.

However, the presence of a registration number alone does not guarantee that a product is safe. Proper control over product quality, ingredients, production processes and storage systems is also essential.

The BFSA said applications must be submitted after payment of the prescribed fees under Schedule 10 of the regulations and fulfillment of the relevant conditions.

Initially, applications may be submitted through the authority's respective district offices.

An initiative is also underway to introduce a system for accepting all applications online in phases.

Under the regulations, first-time registration for the 16 specified categories of food businesses will be free of charge.

The fee for premises licences for establishments manufacturing specialised food products will depend on the size of the establishment.

The fee has been set at Tk10,000 for establishments measuring 100 square metres or less and Tk60,000 for establishments measuring more than 10,000 square metres.

Registration and licences will remain valid for three years and must then be renewed.

Operating a food business without registration or a licence where required is a punishable offence under the relevant provisions of the Food Safety Act, 2013.

Therefore, the relevant businesses and establishments must prepare the necessary documents and apply for registration or licensing before the new provisions take effect on 1 November.

The effectiveness of the new regulations will depend on transparency in the registration and licensing process, regular inspections, action against violations of the law and the resolution of consumer complaints.

In particular, the requirements and application procedures must be communicated clearly and accessibly to small-scale and mobile food vendors.

At the same time, effective monitoring of specialised food products at the production and marketing stages would expand access to safe food for all consumers, including children, elderly people and those suffering from illnesses.

The BFSA expects the new registration and licensing system to establish transparency and accountability in food businesses, bring production and marketing activities under greater discipline, and strengthen efforts to ensure food safety and protect public health.