How to Get Food Category Approval in Flipkart?

The E-commerce industry is going uptrend post lockdown. Many people started to sell on online platforms. Especially, housewives started to sell homemade and handmade products online. Selling food products on e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart is easy if you have all the required documents.

To list food products in Flipkart, certain licenses, documents and approvals are mandatory. If you planning to sell on Flipkart, then you have come to the right blog where you can learn how to get food category approval for Flipkart.

Things to note while selling food products

To earn huge profit in this highly competitive category, please follow the below points. Earn customers’ trust which in turn helps to increase sales.

• Choose the products which have longer shelf life rather than short shelf-life products.
• Do not compromise on Quality.
• Hygienic and attractive packing is needed. Check out our latest blog to know more about the top 10 packing materials.

Documents for Food Category Approval

• Trademark Certificate (If Brand Owner)
• Brand Authorization letter (For resellers only)
• Invoice (From Authorized distributor)
• FSSAI Registration
• Real-time Product Images (Product package label)
• Seller Declaration Letter (Terms & Conditions template provided by Flipkart)

Brand Approval

Flipkart is the leading E-commerce marketplace in India. Brand approval is mandatory to sell products online. For some categories, the brand name will be approved as Open Brand, but for food products, brand approval is necessary. 

Once you select Apply for Approval,  fill out the mandatory details.

After you apply for your brand approval, the Flipkart team will do the audit. They ensure that the seller follows all the guidelines to sell in the requested category. 

You can track your approval from Listings->Track Approval Requests.

If the brand approval is not approved, the reason for rejection will be mentioned in the case log. The necessary changes are to be made and need to re-apply again.

Trademark Certificate

Trademark holds the authority of Brand Name. Applying for the TM while starting your business is a good option to keep your brand name safe from other sellers.  If anyone got the TM for your Brand name, you can not hold the authorization for your brand. So to be in a safer zone, Apply for the TM as soon as you start your own business. You can apply for Flipkart brand Approval even with Pending  TM Status. 

FSSAI Registration

The Food Standards and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) is a principal authority. It is in control of regulating and supervising food safety. As per the law, an FSSAI registration is mandatory to sell food grades. FSSAI is necessary for anyone who is doing the food business. Even if you are a reseller, separate FSSAI registration is mandatory, irrespective of your manufacturer’s FSSAI registration.

Three types of FSSAI Registration are,

• Basic FSSAI Registration
• State FSSAI Registration
• Central FSSAI Registration

Basic FSSAI registration with product annexure is enough to apply for the Brand Approval in Flipkart. 

Here are the required documents to apply for Basic FSSAI Registration, 

Required Documents(Resellers)

• Business Name and Address
• Address Proof
• Passport size photo of business owner
• Business details
• FSSAI Declaration form

Required Documents(Manufacturers)

• Manufacturing unit photos
• Plant/Organization layouts
• Product and Machinery details on company letterhead
• A water test report is compulsory for mineral water plant business

An annexure is a declaration form which is essential for applying for FSSAI registration. Mention the details of the product briefly. Also, mention if you are a manufacturer, reseller or distributor.

Brand Authorization Letter

When you sell other branded products, you need a Brand Authorization letter from the brand owner. It is provided to the seller or distributor to sell products with their brand name. The Brand Authorization letter contains the following,

• This letter must include the details of the brand owner.
• Trademark number – to verify the authorization of the seller.
• Validity of the letter. 
• Name and address of the company 
• An authorization number (in rare cases)

Product Package Label

The Product package label contents should include FSSAI number, Product Name, Model Name, MRP, Ingredients, Veg or Non-Veg logo, Manufacturer name, Manufacturing Date, Manufacturing Address, Country of Origin, and Customer Care details.

MRP is a must for every product to sell. The MRP tag should be affixed to the Product packing itself. For branded products, the MRP tag will be provided by the company. The MRP label has to be created separately for small business firms or handmade products. You can create your own MRP label by using Sticky labels and thermal labels.

Invoice

An Invoice document is now mandatory to ensure minimal customer returns due to fake or duplicate products. Some products will need an invoice document to follow regulations. You should submit the invoice letter with a minimum of 10 quantities purchased for approval. It should be GST or Purchase Invoice that includes your manufacturer’s business details and your business details. 

Sample MRP Tag Images

Product real-time images should be submitted for Brand Approval. Flipkart will verify the authenticity of your product using real-time images. The images should be, 

• No distraction in the foreground
• Brand Name should be clearly affixed same as your supporting documents such as TM 
• Do not upload the blurred image
• MRP and other related information should be clearly visible

Seller Declaration Letter

While Applying for Brand Approval in Flipkart, you can download the seller declaration letter template and you should fill out the required details such as Company name, Address, Seller Information, FSSAI license number, and Signature with Date and upload it.

Common Errors in Food Category Approval

• MRP label is not up to standard
• Incorrect FSSAI No mentioned MRP label.
• The food Declaration letter should not have correct details (like Address, FSSAI number, etc.,)

Do you have all these necessary documents? Then why are you waiting? Start your own business with Flipkart today.  Are you interested to know more about selling on Flipkart and skyrocketing it to the next level? Check our Advanced Flipkart course and use coupon FLIPKART to avail it at 50% OFF.