Last reviewed on 11 September 2026.
NNWA publishes the name and qualifications of everyone who writes and checks its material. You can see the full teaching team on the faculty page.
This guide separates FSSAI's official training from general food science courses and explains which you need. It is written by NNWA's pharmacology and regulatory faculty. NNWA runs a food science course that is not FoSTaC, and this article says so plainly.
What is FoSTaC?
FoSTaC stands for Food Safety Training and Certification. It is FSSAI's own programme for training people who handle and supervise food, delivered through training partners that FSSAI has empanelled. Courses are offered at basic, advanced and special levels, with special courses for particular sectors such as catering, manufacturing, bakery, milk or meat. Successful learners receive a FoSTaC certificate. It is the training FSSAI recognises for the food safety supervisor role in licensed food businesses.
Who needs FoSTaC training?
Food businesses that hold an FSSAI licence are required to have trained and certified food safety supervisors, and FoSTaC is the route to that certification. The number of supervisors needed depends on the size of the operation and the number of food handlers. Businesses with only a basic FSSAI registration have lighter requirements, though training their staff in hygiene is still wise. If you run or plan to run a licensed food business, check the current requirement for your category on FSSAI's own portal rather than relying on a consultant's summary.
What does a food science course teach?
The wider subject: what food is made of, how it changes when cooked, stored and processed, food safety and hygiene, the basics of FSSAI regulation, food labelling, preservation and additives, and quality standards. NNWA's Food Science and FSSAI course covers these areas over six weeks at a foundation level, costing 9,999 rupees reduced from 14,999, with EMI from 1,667 rupees a month. It carries NNWA certificates. It is not FoSTaC and does not satisfy the food safety supervisor requirement.
| FoSTaC | A food science course | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | FSSAI, through empanelled training partners | Any private or academic provider |
| What it exists for | Certifying food safety supervisors in licensed businesses | Understanding food, safety, regulation and labelling more widely |
| What it covers | Safe handling and hygiene, at basic, advanced and special levels by sector | Composition, what cooking and storage do to food, preservation, additives, labelling, quality standards |
| Satisfies the supervisor requirement | Yes | No |
Many food entrepreneurs take both, because they answer different questions.
Can a food science course replace FoSTaC?
No. However good a private food science course is, it is not FSSAI's certification, and it does not make someone a certified food safety supervisor under the regulations. A food business that needs FoSTaC-trained supervisors must use FoSTaC. Be wary of any provider that implies its own course satisfies the legal requirement without being an empanelled FoSTaC partner delivering the official course.
Why would anyone take a food science course then?
Because FoSTaC is focused on safe handling and hygiene for a specific role, while many people need a broader understanding of food. A founder developing a packaged product needs to understand ingredients, shelf life, preservation, labelling and nutrition claims. A nutritionist advising clients on packaged foods needs to read labels accurately. A cloud kitchen owner benefits from understanding why certain foods spoil faster. A food science course gives that broader base, and many food business owners take both.
What is the difference between FSSAI registration and a licence?
FSSAI requires every food business to be registered or licensed, depending on its scale and type. Broadly, very small businesses need a basic registration, while larger businesses need a state or central licence, with the thresholds set by turnover, production capacity and the kind of activity. The requirements, fees and thresholds are published on FSSAI's portal and are revised from time to time, so check the current rules there. The category you fall into also affects your training obligations.
What do labelling rules require?
A good deal, and they catch many small businesses out. The Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 set out what must appear on a label, including the name of the food, ingredients in order, nutritional information for many products, allergen declarations, the FSSAI licence or registration number, date marking and the vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol. Claims such as "high protein" or "sugar free" have specific conditions. A food science course that covers labelling in detail can save a new brand from costly relabelling.
Who should take a food science course?
Food entrepreneurs and home food businesses, nutritionists and dietitians who advise on packaged foods, people working in food retail or quality roles, and anyone preparing for a career in the food industry who wants a foundation before a degree. Our article on nutrition careers in the food industry explains where this knowledge leads professionally.
Is a food science course enough for a food industry career?
For entry-level and support roles, it helps. For technical roles in product development, quality control and regulatory affairs at larger companies, employers usually look for a degree in food technology, food science or a related field. A short course is a good way to test your interest and to strengthen an application, not a substitute for a degree in those roles.
How do nutritionists use food science?
Constantly, if they work with packaged foods. Clients ask whether a breakfast cereal is healthy, whether a "multigrain" bread really contains whole grains, whether a protein bar is worth buying. Reading the ingredient list and nutrition panel accurately, and understanding what claims like "no added sugar" do and do not mean, is a practical skill that makes advice far more useful. Our Indian food calorie chart is a companion for the home-cooked side.
What should a home food business owner do first?
Register with FSSAI at the right level before selling, learn basic hygiene thoroughly, get the labelling right from the start, and take FoSTaC training if your category requires trained supervisors. Then consider a broader food science course if you plan to develop products. Doing things in this order keeps the business legal first and helps it grow second.
The order to do it in
Legal first, then growth. Taking these out of sequence is what produces costly relabelling and an unlicensed kitchen.
Register or licence at the right level
Before you sell anything. Which category you fall into is set by turnover, production capacity and the kind of activity, and the thresholds are published on FSSAI's portal.
Learn the hygiene properly
Even a business on basic registration should train its handlers. Safe handling is the part that fails quietly and expensively.
Get the label right from the start
Name of the food, ingredients in order, nutritional information, allergen declarations, the licence or registration number, date marking and the veg or non-veg symbol. Claims such as high protein or sugar free carry their own conditions.
Take FoSTaC if your category needs supervisors
Check the current requirement for your category on FSSAI's own portal rather than taking a consultant's summary for it.
Then widen out
A food science course once the compliance is settled, if you plan to develop products rather than only cook them.
How can you tell if a course is official FoSTaC?
Check FSSAI's FoSTaC portal for the list of empanelled training partners and the courses they are authorised to run, and confirm that the certificate will be issued under FoSTaC. A genuine partner will tell you which FoSTaC course it is delivering and at what level. If a provider cannot name the FoSTaC course, or its certificate carries only its own name, it is not the official training.
What should you ask before paying for any food safety course?
Is this the official FoSTaC course, and are you an empanelled partner? Which level and sector is it? Will the certificate satisfy the food safety supervisor requirement for my business? If it is not FoSTaC, what exactly does the certificate represent? What does the course cover beyond hygiene, such as labelling and preservation? Clear answers to these questions protect you from paying for training that does not meet your legal needs.
Can you take both FoSTaC and a food science course?
Yes, and for many food entrepreneurs that is the ideal combination. FoSTaC meets the legal requirement for supervisors and teaches safe handling. A food science course builds the broader understanding needed to develop products, write correct labels and make sensible decisions about ingredients and shelf life. The two answer different questions and do not compete.
The honest summary
FoSTaC is FSSAI's official food safety certification and the one licensed food businesses need for their supervisors. A food science course, including NNWA's, teaches the wider subject and cannot replace it. Choose FoSTaC for compliance, a food science course for understanding, and both if you are building a food business that you want to grow.