How to Start Nutraceutical Marketing Company?

Nutraceutical Business are fall under Food Business Operators in India and regulated by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

For conducting any kind of business i.e., manufacturing, trading, wholesale, distribution, marketing and retail of nutraceutical products, you need to take registration, state license or central license as per your eligibility.

This article will cover nutraceuticals as well as foods for special dietary uses or functional foods or food supplements and health supplements etc.

What are the Nutraceuticals?

The word “nutraceutical” is a word generated by combining words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical”, coined in 1989 by Stephen L. DeFelice, founder and chairman of the Foundation of Innovation Medicine.

Definition of Nutraceuticals

Nutraceuticals are the foods which are specially processed or formulated to satisfy particular dietary requirements which exist because of a particular physical or physiological condition or specific diseases and disorders and which are presented as such, wherein the composition of these foodstuffs must differ significantly from the composition of ordinary foods of comparable nature, if such ordinary foods exist, and may contain one or more of the following ingredients i.e., plants or botanicals or minerals or vitamins or proteins or metals or their compounds or amino or enzymes or substances from animal origin etc.

Licenses required for nutraceutical marketing company

1. FSSAI Registration/License
2. GST Number
3. Company Registration (Optional)
4. Trademark Registration (Optional)

Steps for Starting Nutraceutical Marketing Company

1. Make a Business Plan
2. Choose Company Name
3. Choose molecules and Brand Names
4. Designing of Company Logo and Printing/Promotional Material
5. Choose place, premises and building (rented or owned) for starting nutraceutical marketing company
6. Fund Arrangement (own, loan, investment etc)
7. Apply for FSSAI Registration and/or License 
8. Apply for Goods and Service Tax Identification Number (GSTIN)
9. Apply for Company Registration (Optional)
10. Apply for Trade Mark Registration (Optional)
11. Search for food supplement third party manufacturer
12. Finalize Packaging and Packing, Design Material for medicines boxes, label, foils etc
13. Place order to manufacturer at basis of third party manufacturing/ contract manufacturing/ Loan Licencing in case of marketing company
14. When products will be ready, start marketing and promotion of products.

FSSAI Registration/License for Nutraceuticals and Food/Health Supplements

There were three types of licenses issued by FSSAI to food business operators i.e.

• Registration
• State License
• Central License

Registration

FBOs having a turnover up to Rs. 12 Lacs per annum

State License:

FBOs having a turnover up to Rs. 30 Crores per annum

Central license:

FBOs having a turnover more than Rs. 30 Crores per annum

Identify the category of product as per regulation

13 – Foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses

• Health Supplements – Food Product Category 13.6
• Nutraceuticals – Food Product Category 13.6
• Food for Special Dietary Uses – Food Product Category 13.4, 13.5, as per ingredients/intended use
• Food for Special Medical Purposes other than infants- Food Product Category 13.3, 13.4 as per ingredients / intended use
• Food with added Probiotic Ingredients – Food Product Category 13.6
• Food with added Prebiotic Ingredients – Food Product Category 13.6
• Specialty Food containing plant/botanical ingredients with safe history of usage – Food Product Category 13.6

How to apply for Nutraceutical Marketing License?

• Application is filled up online through FSSAI online Portal i.e., FoSCoS (Food Safety Compliance System) website.
• Visit: https://foscos.fssai.gov.in/
• The user – Food Business Operator (FBO) can log-in or sign up from homepage at top right corner of the portal
• For signup (When the user is new): After clicking on signup, user will be redirected to signup page wherein the user has to fill in all details like Name, Email ID, Mobile No, Login ID and Password and click on “Signup” button.
• A verification code will be sent to the registered email ID and Mobile number. Fill in the verification code and click “Submit” to verify the details
• After successfully signing up, user can login to the system by entering the username, password and captcha code. If user is existing then s/he can simply login from this page by entering email ID, password and captcha code.
• Select the location of Food unit i.e., regular premises etc
• Selection of kind of business and eligibility for license and registration
• Fill premises details and select appropriate food product Categories and products
• A 17-digit user ID will be created based on application reference number
• Fill communication details and upload requisite documents
• Submission of Fee and the application

Useful links:

• Apply for license and registration
• Check Eligibility
• Fill Application Details

Check list of Nutraceutical Third Party Manufacturers

List of documents for Nutraceutical marketing Company

• list of Directors/Partners/Proprietor/Executive Members of Society/Trust with full address and contact details with nomination of authorized signatory
• Photo I.D. and address proof issued by Government authority of Proprietor/ Partner/ Director(s)/ Authorised Signatory
• Proof of possession of premises. (Sale deed/ Rent agreement/ Electricity bill etc.
• Partnership Deed/Self Declaration for Proprietorship/Memorandum & Articles of Association towards the constitution of the firm/ Copy of certificate obtained under Coop Act – 1861/Multi-State Coop Act – 2002 in case of Cooperatives
• Form IX: Nomination of Person as per Clause 2.5 of FSS Rules, 2008 (Not applicable In case of Proprietor)
• Recall Plan
• Any document which is required by the licensing authority to ensure safety of food
• Any document specified by FSSAI or commissioner of Food safety through a public order for any particular kind of business activity or in general

Query:

I am basically Nutritionist. Now working as Nutrition representative, I want to start my own nutraceutical marketing company.

Response:

You can start your own nutraceutical company by taking your firm/company registration/license through FSSAI.

You can get manufactured your products at third party manufacturing basis by nutraceutical manufacturers who manufactures nutritional or dietry supplements also.

• First prepare list of products., you want to start.
• Rent or own a premises
• Apply for registration under FSSAI for sale & purchase of food, dietry and nutritional supplements.
• Choose third party manufacturer.
• Give him your company name, brand name and marketed by address etc.
• Start your own nutraceutical marketing company.

Check out detail if you want to start nutraceutical manufacturing company by clicking here

Conclusion

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is regulatory body for providing nutraceutical marketing license in India. So, you need to apply to FSSAI if you want to start marketing of nutraceutical products.

If pharma companies or distributors/chemists etc are engaged in sales and purchase or marketing of any product that fall under nutraceuticals, food supplements and dietary supplements, they have to apply for fssai registration or license also according to kind of your business.

Read related:

• How to Start Pharmaceutical marketing and manufacturing Company in India?
• How to Start Ayurvedic marketing Company in India?
• How to start Nutraceutical Manufacturing Company?

Hope above information was useful to you…  
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