FSSAI, APEDA and Spices Board: Which Registrations Does an Indian Spice Exporter Need?

The short answer

Yes, FSSAI is mandatory. Every Indian food exporter, including spice exporters, must hold an FSSAI Central License. APEDA registration is required only for scheduled products like fruits, vegetables and processed foods, but most credible spice exporters hold it anyway. Spices Board registration (CRES) is compulsory for anyone exporting spices from India.

FSSAI Central License

Issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the Central License is the baseline legal requirement for food export. It confirms the exporter operates under India's food safety law and maintains hygiene and testing standards. Always ask for the 14-digit FSSAI license number and verify it on the FoSCoS portal.

Spices Board CRES certificate

The Certificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices is issued by the Spices Board of India under the Ministry of Commerce. No spice shipment can legally leave India without the exporter's CRES number on the shipping bill. The Board also runs quality evaluation labs that buyers can use for pre-shipment testing.

APEDA registration

APEDA's Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) is mandatory for scheduled products such as fresh produce, basmati rice and processed foods. For pure spice exporters it is optional, but it unlocks export incentives and is a strong trust signal. If your shipment mixes spices with rice or fresh produce, your exporter needs APEDA.

IEC, GST and the rest

Every exporter needs an Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT and a GST registration. For example, Prasangi Exports operates under IEC AAPCP8119D and GSTIN 37AAPCP8119D1Z5, both verifiable on government portals. A legitimate supplier will share these without hesitation.

Buyer checklist

Before your first order, collect: IEC copy, FSSAI Central License, Spices Board CRES, APEDA RCMC if applicable, GST certificate, and a recent third-party lab COA. Cross-check each number on the relevant government portal. This ten-minute verification eliminates most supplier fraud risk.