FSSAI Annual Return (Form D-1) Filing Guide 2026: Step-by-Step Process

What is the FSSAI Annual Return?

The FSSAI Annual Return is a mandatory compliance submission for food businesses holding State or Central FSSAI Licenses. It provides FSSAI with data on the types of food products manufactured or dealt with, quantities produced, and raw materials used — helping FSSAI track food industry trends and identify compliance issues.

Who Must File FSSAI Annual Return?

FBO Type	Form Required	Deadline
Food manufacturers (all products except milk/dairy)	Form D-1 (Annual Return)	31st May (for previous financial year: April–March)
Milk and milk product manufacturers	Form D-2 (Half-yearly return)	1st August (Apr–Jun quarter) and 1st February (Oct–Dec quarter)
FBOs with Basic Registration	Not required	N/A
Importers, distributors, retailers (non-manufacturer)	Not required (but some states may require)	Check with local FSSAI office

Information Required in Form D-1

The FSSAI Annual Return (Form D-1) requires the following information for each food category licensed:

• FBO details: FSSAI License number, name of FBO, address, contact details
• Products manufactured: For each product category:
  • Name of product/product category
  • Quantity produced during the year (in metric tonnes or kilolitres)
  • Value of production (in ₹ lakhs)
  • Quantity exported (if any)
• Raw materials used: Major raw materials, quantities used, sources (domestic/imported)
• Workers employed: Total number of workers in the food business
• Declaration: Signed declaration by the authorised signatory

How to File FSSAI Annual Return on FoSCoS

1. Log into FoSCoS: Go to foscos.fssai.gov.in and log in with your registered credentials
2. Navigate to "Annual Returns": Under "Compliance" section on your dashboard
3. Select Form D-1 (for manufacturers) or Form D-2 (for dairy)
4. Select Financial Year: The return is filed for the previous financial year (April to March)
5. Fill in the form: Enter product details, quantities, raw materials, and workforce data
6. Verify and Submit: Review all entries for accuracy before submitting
7. Acknowledge Receipt: You receive a submission acknowledgement which serves as proof of filing

Penalties for Late or Non-Filing

Situation	Consequence
Filed after 31st May but within the year	Late filing; may receive compliance notice from FSSAI
Not filed at all	Improvement notice under FSSAI Act; non-compliance recorded against license; can affect renewal
False information in return	Criminal prosecution under FSS Act for providing false information

Tips for Accurate Annual Return Filing

• Maintain monthly production records throughout the year so the annual total is easy to calculate
• Record raw material purchases and consumption separately for each product line
• Keep previous years' returns on file — FSSAI inspectors may cross-check current year against previous years
• If your business was not operational for part of the year (seasonal business), declare actual production with a note
• If you manufactured products not covered in your license, do not include them in the return — instead, apply for license modification first

Conclusion

Filing the FSSAI Annual Return is one of the simplest ongoing compliance obligations for licensed food manufacturers. It takes less than 30 minutes to complete on the FoSCoS portal if you have your production records ready. Mark 31st May as a fixed date in your compliance calendar and file it every year without fail. Velco Legal India offers assisted annual return filing for food businesses — contact us before the deadline.