The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has brought up various legal amendments from Jan 2022 to June 2022. In this blog, we will be doing a quick refresher on the key changes brought in by the FSSAI in the last 6 months of 2022. Periodic changes like these reflects the importance of having a robust compliance management tool for organisations.
1. Disclosure of all food ingredients used in manufacturing any food article: Delhi HC
The Delhi High Court, in the case of Ram Gaua Raksha Dal v. Union of India and ors (.W .P.(C) 12055/2021), has directed the Food Business Operators (FBOs) to disclose all the ingredients which are used in manufacturing of any food article. The disclosure must be not only in relation to code names but also to disclose if such ingredients originate from plant or animal source or if they are manufactured in laboratory, irrespective of the amount/ percent used in the food article.
All FBOs are mandatorily required to comply with the new sets of compliance brought under the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 by 1st of July 2022.
ALL FBOs need to strictly adhere to the norms of declaration of Veg or Non-Veg logo. Even if a single ingredient present in the food item is from a non- veg source, then a declaration that the food item is non-veg has to be made by the FBOs.
FBOs dealing in manufacturing of Ayurveda Aahara now have to mandatorily comply with the compliance requirements mentioned under the Food Safety and Standards (Ayurveda Aahara) Regulations, 2022. One of the most important requirements mentioned under the regulation is regarding the labelling of the product if it contains Ayurveda Aahara. FBOs now need to be careful while manufacturing such food items and claiming that it cures some type of diseases. Make sure that your compliance management tool is updated with the current requirements.
All e-commerce FBOs were required to submit details regarding their existing grievance redressal framework by 28th June 2022 to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
The FSSAI relaxed the timeline to comply with submitting the Annual Return for the FY 2021-2022 till 30th June 2022, however it has mandated to submit the same through FoSCoS portal only. If you are using Komrisk, Lexplosion’s compliance management tool, you must have been already notified and the associated compliance has also been updated in your compliance library.
FSSAI has extended the timeline for all the milk and milk product manufacturers to adhere to the labelling norms by 31st December 2022 instead of 1st July 2022.
8. Unit Price on Packages to help consumers make better choice
The Indian Government under The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2022 in a major policy shift pertaining to pre-packed goods, has done away with mandatory standard pack sizes that governed the sale of these goods. The change, which will come into force from October 1, 2022 this year, will enhance price transparency and help consumers make an informed choice while buying packed goods.
9. FSSAI to introduce Health Star Rating for Packaged Goods
Packaged food products in India will soon be labelled with an official health star rating (HSR). The rating will be the first such in India, a country burdened with lifestyle diseases, and is aimed at guiding consumers to opt for healthy food. The HSR format ranks a packaged food item based on salt, sugar, and fat content and the rating will be printed on the front of the package.
Past 6 months have witnessed a considerable number of changes, amendments, developments to the FSSAI Regulations which point in the direction of making consumers make informed choices on the food products. While the consumer is the ultimate beneficiary, the FBOs have been cast with a responsibility to adhere to the changes/ amendments. Lexplosion understands, how overwhelming a task it becomes for the Legal and the Operations Team of the FBOs to track, monitor and report the legal changes. We at Lexplosion Solutions Pvt. Ltd. recognize such challenges faced by FBOs, thereby aiding them in ascertaining, understanding and effectively complying with the applicable regulations and timely tracking all the new amendments brought into effect by the Regulators. Komrisk, Lexplosion’s compliance management tool helps companies identify, manage, monitor, and mitigate legal risks emerging from evolving regulations and such aforesaid amendments. Komrisk has been successfully deployed and has been mitigating compliance risk globally for over decades now. To know more about how best we can guide and assist you in identifying, managing monitoring your compliances and tracking new updates, please connect with us now!
Written by: Amanya Gangawat
Co Authored by: Anchal Sharma, Saikat Mondal
Disclaimer
All material included in this blog is for informational purposes only and does not purport to be or constitute legal or other advice. This blog should not be used as a substitute for specific legal advice. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from an action as a result of the contents of this blog. We exclude any liability (including without limitation that for negligence or for any damages of any kind) for the content of this blog. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author/(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Lexplosion Solutions. We make no representations, warranties or undertakings about any of the information, content or materials provided in this blog (including, without limitation, any as to quality, accuracy, completeness or reliability). All the contents of this blog, including the design, text, graphics, their selection and arrangement are the intellectual property of Lexplosion Solutions Private Limited and/or its licensors.
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