Pick food that survives the journey
Not every dish can travel. A parcel may spend days in a hot van and get thrown around at a sorting hub. Pickles, masalas, dry snacks and sweets with a long shelf life handle this well. Fresh curries, dairy sweets and anything that needs a fridge do not. Start with one or two products you already make well, the ones friends ask for again. Be honest about shelf life, too. If a batch only keeps for a week, it cannot sit in a courier network and then on a buyer's shelf. You can add fresh food later for buyers in your own city.
Get FSSAI registration first
Selling food as a business needs FSSAI registration or a licence, even from a home kitchen. From 1 April 2026, basic registration covers food businesses with turnover up to ₹1.5 crore a year. A state licence covers turnover above that, up to ₹50 crore. FSSAI says small businesses now get instant registration with no pre-inspection. Registrations also have perpetual validity, so there is no renewal to track. You apply online on FoSCoS, FSSAI's compliance portal.
What goes on the label
Packed food needs a proper label under FSSAI's Labelling and Display Regulations. That means the ingredients, the net quantity, date marking, and the FSSAI logo with your licence number. A green dot in a square marks vegetarian food. A brown triangle marks non-vegetarian food, and FSSAI counts eggs as non-veg. Name common allergens too, such as milk, nuts, soy and wheat. Print labels you can update easily, because a new recipe means a new ingredient list.
Show the label on your product page
Buyers online cannot pick up the jar and read it. So when packed food is sold online, FSSAI's rules say the mandatory label details must reach the buyer before the sale. Batch number and dates are the exception, since they change with each batch. In practice, put the ingredients, veg or non-veg mark, allergens and net quantity on every product page. A clear photo of the back label helps too.
Costing a jar, step by step
- Add up the raw material cost for one batch, then divide it by the number of packs it makes.
- Add the jar or pouch, the label, the box and the filler for one parcel.
- Add gas, electricity and a fair rate for your own hours.
- Add shipping, the payment charge and a share of any ad spend.
- Set a price that leaves a margin after all of that, then compare it with similar brands.
Pack so nothing leaks
A leaking pickle jar ruins the parcel and the review. Close each jar with a tight lid and tape, then seal it in a zip bag. Use a sturdy box with filler, so nothing moves when you shake it. Send a test parcel to a friend in another city before you launch. Check how it arrived and how long it took. If the oil seeped or the laddoos broke, fix the packing before a paying buyer finds out.
Your first buyers
Start with people who already love your food - family, neighbours and local WhatsApp groups. Ask them for honest reviews and photos. Then move to Instagram with short videos from your kitchen. When you want orders beyond your circle, a store of your own helps. On The Storemate you can take UPI, cards and COD, and send GST-correct invoices from one admin. Start small, keep the taste steady and grow with repeat buyers.