FSSAI Food Complaint — Report Unsafe Food and Track It
Bad food, adulteration, a foreign object, an expired product or an unlicensed kitchen — all go to the same place. The app also lets you check whether the business is licensed at all, which is often the real answer.
- Who to contact first
- FSSAI, through its consumer grievance channels — and in the first instance the food business operator’s own nodal officer, which FSSAI requires every business to nominate.
- How to reach them
- Call 1800-11-2100, free and available around the clock, use the Food Safety Connect app, or WhatsApp 9868686868. Complaints are tracked through the Food Regulatory Portal.
- How long to wait
- FSSAI does not publish one redress period covering all grievance types. Keep the complaint reference and the date.
- If they ignore you
- FSSAI’s own escalation is from the state food safety authority up to FSSAI. Where you were sold unsafe food and want compensation, the consumer commission runs in parallel.
Official source · last verified 1 September 2026 — Food Safety Connect — FSSAI. GetNyay is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any government department.
The Food Safety Connect app verifies the FSSAI licence or registration number of any food business in India. A surprising number of complaints turn out to be against a business operating without a valid licence, and that is a much more serious matter than the individual dish or product — it is worth stating explicitly in the complaint, because it changes who acts and how quickly.
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All contact channels
Every channel below was read on an official page. Contact details change — the source for each is linked in the verification footer at the end of this page.
The escalation ladder, level by level
Work through these in order. Every forum above asks what you did below, and skipping a rung is the commonest reason a complaint is sent back.
- 1Food business operator nodal officerWait Not published
The food business operator’s own nodal officer — FSSAI has directed businesses to nominate one for consumer grievances.
The product, the batch number and expiry, the date and place of purchase, and the bill. For a restaurant, the outlet and the date and time.
- 2FSSAI consumer grievanceWait Not published as one figure
FSSAI, through the helpline, the app or WhatsApp.
1800-11-2100 · Food Safety Connect · WhatsApp 9868686868
Photographs of the product, label, batch code and, where relevant, the premises. The FSSAI licence number of the business if you have checked it.
- 3State Food Safety Authority → FSSAIWait Not published
The state food safety authority, and then FSSAI where the state has not resolved it.
The complaint reference, the dates, and what was or was not done. FSSAI describes escalation from state level upward.
- 4District Consumer Commission — e-JagritiWait Two years from the cause of action
The consumer commission, where you suffered loss or illness and want compensation.
e-jagriti.gov.in
The bill, the product or its packaging, any medical records, and the FSSAI complaint reference.
How the process runs
- 1Keep the evidence
Do not throw away the product or packaging. Photograph the label, the batch number, the expiry date and the MRP.
then: then check the licence - 2Verify the FSSAI licence
Use the Food Safety Connect app to check whether the business holds a valid licence or registration. An unlicensed business is a separate and more serious complaint.
then: raise it with the business - 3Complain to the business nodal officer
FSSAI has directed food business operators to nominate nodal officers for consumer grievances.
then: if unresolved - 4File with FSSAI
Call 1800-11-2100, use the app, or WhatsApp 9868686868 with photographs. Track on the Food Regulatory Portal.
then: if the state does not act - 5Escalate to FSSAI, and to the consumer commission for compensation
Escalation runs from state food safety authority up to FSSAI. Compensation for illness or loss is a consumer commission matter.
What this system will not take up
Filing one of these wastes the whole period — it is closed on that ground alone.
- Anything pending before a court.
- A pure billing or service dispute with a restaurant that raises no food safety issue — that is a consumer complaint.
- A claim for compensation — FSSAI regulates and enforces; it does not award damages.
- Complaints about a delivery platform’s service rather than the food itself, which go to that platform and then the consumer commission.
What to have ready before you complain
Assemble these first. A complaint that opens with the identifying numbers gets routed; one that opens with how long this has been going on gets a template reply.
- The product itself, or its packaging — do not throw it away, it is the case.
- Photographs of the label, the batch or lot number, the manufacturing and expiry dates and the MRP.
- The FSSAI licence or registration number of the business, which the Food Safety Connect app can verify.
- The bill or receipt, with the date and place of purchase.
- For a restaurant, the outlet address, the date and time, and photographs of the premises or the dish.
- Medical records and prescriptions where anyone fell ill.
Timelines at a glance
How long to wait at each stage, and where that period comes from.
| Stage | Window | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| FSSAI grievance | No single published figure | Keep the reference and the date |
| CPGRAMS, if filed in parallel | 21 days, interim reply if longer | CPGRAMS FAQ |
| Consumer complaint | Two years from the cause of action | Consumer Protection Act, 2019 |
Common complaints handled here
Who runs this, and who is above it
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
FSSAI regulates food businesses and licenses them; enforcement is largely carried out by state food safety authorities, which is why a complaint often runs at state level first and escalates to FSSAI. FSSAI has also directed food business operators to nominate nodal officers for consumer grievances, so the business itself is a real first step rather than a formality.
https://fssai.gov.in/cms/food-safety-connect.php →If they ignore you — where to go next
What each forum costs and what it needs before it will take your case.
The complaint reference and the dates.
A central record with a 21-day norm and a 30-day appeal.
The bill, the product and any medical records. The only forum that can award compensation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FSSAI complaint number?
1800-11-2100, published as available around the clock and free of charge. It registers food-related grievances, including those that arrive through the Food Safety Connect app, the website, WhatsApp and social channels. For anything visual — a foreign object, a label, mouldy food — WhatsApp on 9868686868 is often the better route because the photograph goes with the complaint.
How do I check if a restaurant has a valid FSSAI licence?
The Food Safety Connect app verifies the FSSAI licence or registration number of any food business in India. It is worth doing before you complain, because a business operating without a valid licence is a materially more serious matter than a single bad dish, and saying so in the complaint changes how it is handled.
I found something in a packaged food product. What should I do first?
Keep the product and the packaging — that is the case, and complaints fail every day because the evidence was thrown away. Photograph the object in place, then the label showing the batch or lot number, the manufacturing and expiry dates and the MRP, and keep the bill. Then complain through the app or WhatsApp so the photographs travel with the complaint.
Do I complain to FSSAI or to the restaurant first?
Both work, and FSSAI has directed food business operators to nominate nodal officers precisely so that the business is a real first step. In practice, raise it with the business if the matter is straightforward and you want it fixed, and go to FSSAI where there is a safety issue, where the business brushes you off, or where you suspect the licence is not valid.
Can I get compensation if I fell ill after eating out?
Not from FSSAI, which regulates and enforces rather than awarding damages. Compensation is a consumer commission matter, and food sold for consideration that causes illness is a straightforward deficiency in service and defect in goods. Keep the bill, the product where possible, and all medical records and prescriptions — the medical record is what links the illness to the meal.
Is complaining to FSSAI free?
Yes. The helpline is published as free and available around the clock, and the app, WhatsApp route and portal cost nothing. No lawyer is involved. Any demand for money to register or expedite a food safety complaint should be treated as a warning sign.
Letter and notice formats
Full sample letters you can adapt, or generate your own with your facts filled in — free.
Related escalation guides
Every contact detail on this page was read on an official page — primarily Food Safety Connect — FSSAI. Government contact details change without notice. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will check it.
What we deliberately left blank (3)
- — A published redress period for FSSAI consumer grievances.
- — State food safety authority contact details, which differ by state and are not published as one central list here.
- — FSSAI’s own site returned only a page header when fetched directly; the channel details come from FSSAI-domain pages surfaced in search rather than from a page we opened in full.