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Health & Food

Food businesses face registration rules from 1 November

Bangladesh’s food safety authority will require covered food businesses to apply for registration or licences from 1 November. Ordinary businesses in 16 categories receive free first registration; specialised food businesses face licensing requirements. Registrations last three years, and packaged products must carry a BFSA number.

From 22 October 2026 — Daily Brief

22 OCT 2026 · 18/25

Food businesses covered by Bangladesh’s new safety regulations must apply for registration or the relevant licences from 1 November, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority said on 21 October. The system covers businesses ranging from roadside food stalls to restaurants, bakeries, manufacturers and importers.

The rules distinguish between ordinary food businesses and specialised products. Sixteen categories of conventional businesses require registration, with first registration free. Specified businesses dealing with specialised foods must obtain the applicable licences and pay the prescribed fees.

Those products include infant formula, food supplements and foods designed for particular medical or nutritional needs. The authority said packaged products must display a BFSA registration number, allowing consumers to identify the business and refer to it when making complaints.

Registration and licences will remain valid for three years before renewal. Applications will initially be accepted through the authority’s district offices, with a fully online process to be introduced in stages.

The regulations were gazetted on 16 July. The authority’s latest notice asks affected businesses to prepare their applications and says operating without mandatory registration or a licence is punishable under the Safe Food Act.

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