At minimum, an Indian dehydration plant that exports should hold an FSSAI licence and its exporter should have an IEC from DGFT. Most buyers in the EU, UK and US also expect a food safety certificate recognised by GFSI, such as BRCGS, FSSC 22000 or IFS, built on a working HACCP plan.
Beyond that, the certificates you need depend on your customers. Halal, kosher, organic and US FDA registration are common extras. A certificate shows a system exists. It does not prove every lot is good.
Legal registrations in India
- FSSAI licence: required for food businesses in India. See our article on FSSAI and export.
- IEC (Importer Exporter Code): issued by DGFT and needed for any export.
- APEDA RCMC: processed vegetables are generally under APEDA, so many dehydrated onion exporters register. Check the current scope with APEDA, as covered in our guide to APEDA registration.
- Spices Board CRES: garlic is on the Spices Board list, so exporters of dehydrated garlic may need it. Confirm the current position with the Spices Board.
Food safety certificates
- BRCGS Food Safety: widely asked for by UK and European retailers and manufacturers.
- FSSC 22000: built on ISO 22000 with added requirements, and recognised by GFSI.
- IFS Food: common with German, French and other European buyers.
- ISO 22000: a food safety management standard. On its own it is not GFSI-benchmarked, so some buyers will not accept it alone.
- HACCP: the hazard analysis system behind all of the above. Ask to see the plan, not only a certificate.
Market and customer certificates
- US FDA food facility registration: needed for facilities that make food for the US market. Ask for the registration number and check that it is current.
- Halal: often required for the Gulf, Southeast Asia and many food manufacturers worldwide.
- Kosher: common for US and some European buyers.
- Organic: NPOP for India, USDA NOP for the US, and EU organic rules for Europe. Our article on NPOP in the EU and US explains the differences.
- Ethical audits such as SMETA: asked for by some retail customers.
How to check a certificate is real
Ask for a copy of each certificate and check the name and address against the plant you are buying from. Certificates are issued to a site, not to a trading company.
Look at the scope. A certificate for "dehydrated onion flakes" may not cover powder milling or garlic. Check the expiry date and the certification body. Most schemes have a public database where you can confirm a certificate is valid.
Ask for the last audit report summary and the list of non-conformities raised. How a plant closed its findings tells you more than the grade on the certificate.
Seasonal plants
Many Mahuva plants run hardest from about February to May, when fresh onion is plentiful. Some do less in the off season. A certificate audit done in a quiet month may not show the plant at full speed. If you can, see the plant during the main season.
How we help
We check each certificate against the scheme database, confirm the scope covers your products, and audit the plant in season to see whether practice matches paper. For a certified supplier shortlist, ask for a free sourcing review.