The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (“FSSAI”) has issued a guidance note with respect to Stickers on Fruits and Vegetables.
Since stickers are important tool for consumers to get information about the products in order to make the purchase decision they are often used in the food business. However, sometimes, the direct placing of sticker on items results in adverse health impacts and may render the food unsafe under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006.Accordingly, the said guidance note has been issued requiring traders to ensure the following-
- Stickers without any relevant information such as traceability, grade, price, barcode etc. must not be used.
- Putting stickers or labels directly on fruits must be avoided.
- If stickers are used, the adhesives used on the stickers must be of quality which should not cause any adverse effect on human health.
- A functional barrier may be used to avoid direct application of stickers on fruits and vegetables. Few fruits may be packed in transparent thin film on which sticker may be applied.
- The ink used on the stickers must be of food grade and should not migrate into food.
Source: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
