The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has in a notification dated November 18, 2020 issued the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 (Final Regulations). The Draft Regulations in this regard were issued last year. Now, after taking into consideration the comments received the Final Regulations have been issued.

 

The Regulations are in suppression of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011 and are effective Immediately and Food Business Operators (FBOs) must comply with all the provisions of the Regulations after 1 year from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette, i.e. 17.11.2021. However, Chapter-3 regarding Display of information in food service establishments can be complied with by 1st January, 2022.

 

 

Key Highlights under the Final Regulations:

 

1. The Regulations require that when a food product is sold through e-commerce or any other direct selling means, the mandatory requirements of the label must be provided to the consumer through appropriate means before sale. However, the following are exempted in this regard under the Final Regulations – batch number/ lot number, best before, use by date, expiry date, date of manufacturing/ packing

 

2. Where an ingredient is itself the product of two or more ingredients, such a compound ingredient must be declared, by their specific names;
   1. in the list of ingredients, or
   2. by declaring all of the ingredients of compound ingredient as if they were individual ingredients of the final food.

 

3. Where a compound ingredient constitutes less than 5 per cent. of the food, the ingredients, other than food additives that serve the technological function in the food products, the same is not required to be declared;

 

4. Nutritional information in case of saturated fat and trans fat is required to be given only if fat content is more than 0.5%

 

5. Food claimed to be enriched with nutrients, such as, minerals, proteins, vitamins, amino acids or enzymes must give the quantities of such added nutrients on the label

 

6. The list of foods exempted from mandatory nutritional labelling requirement is revised entirely.

 

7. The amount of energy to be listed is required be calculated by using the certain specified conversion factors. 1 new conversion factor is added in this regard- Dietary fibre 2kcal/g

 

8. The symbol for display on Vegetarian and Non-vegetarian foods are revised:

• The symbol for Vegetarian Food containing ingredients including food additives, processing aids of plant as per the Draft Regulation was a green triangle inside a square. Now it is a green colour filled circle inside a square
• For Non-Vegetarian Food containing ingredients including food additives as per the Draft Regulation was a brown circle inside a square. Now it is a brown colour filled triangle inside a square.

 

9. An additional declaration requirement is included. Now, every package of food material which is not meant for human consumption shall bear a declaration to this effect by a specified symbol of a black colour cross inside a square with black outline.

 

10. With regard to declaration of name and address, it is clarified that in case of alcoholic beverages the same must bear declaration for “Bottled by” or “Blended and Bottled by “or “Imported and Bottled by”. Or “distilled and bottled by” on label.

 

11. The Requirement s of display of FSSAI license are specified.

• The FSSAI logo and license number of the brand owner must be displayed on the label. In addition, the license number of the manufacturer or marketer or packer or bottler, as the case may be, if different from the brand owner, must also be displayed on the label.
• For imported food products, the importer must display FSSAI logo and license number along with name and address of importer.
• FBOs must display on all their premises, where food is stored, processed, distributed or sold, the Registration/Licence No. or Food Safety Display Board if specified, along with other information as may be specified by the FSSAI at a prominent place in the premises.
• Fortified food and organic food shall be marked with the logo as specified in Schedule II of the Regulations.
• FSSAI may specify logo for any other food as decided from time to time

 

12. Provisions are included with regard to declarations to be made on foods and ingredients which are known to cause allergy.

 

13. It is clarified that in case of assorted packs, Shelf life declared on assorted pack must be that of the product having the earliest shelf life declared amongst the different pre-packaged food packed inside

 

14. Food Service Establishments must mention the following against the food items displayed on the menu cards or boards (the requirements in this regard are reduced in comparison to the Draft Regulations):

• information relating to food allergens as prescribed. Allergens may also be depicted by easy to understand symbols.
• logo for veg or non-veg

 

15. Under the provisions with regard to Labelling Requirements of non-retail container an additional declaration requirement is introduced- Name and address of the manufacturer or packer (including country of origin for imported packages).

 

Source: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

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