NEW DELHI: India has intensified the measures to ensure food safety standards across the country. The Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) said it has taken steps ‘to enhance clarity and transparency regarding the nature and functional properties of products, ensuring that consumers can make well-informed choices without encountering misleading information.’
This will have ramifications on food exporters worldwide, for whom India is a huge market both via retail shops sales within India and through e-commerce Food Business Operators (FBOs).
Exports and re-exports from global sources with labelling in English and other foreign languages are ubiquitous in high-end food markets in major Indian cities. These are also widely sold through e-commerce.
‘The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has asked all e-commerce FBOs to ensure appropriate categorisation of food products being sold on their websites,’ India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in an announcement today.
For example, the
FSSAI will henceforth strictly enforce a rule that the description ‘Energy Drink’ can be used only on products licensed under Food Category System ‘Carbonated and Non-carbonated water-based flavoured drinks’ standardised under ‘Caffeinated Beverage.’
Similarly, since the term ‘Health Drink’ is not defined or standardised by the FSSAI, those engaged in food business have been asked to ‘rectify misclassifications by removing or de-linking such beverages from the category of ‘Health Drinks/Energy Drinks’ and place such products in the appropriate category as provided under the extant law.’
The FSSAI has also advised FBOs that ‘Proprietary Foods’ are items that are not standardised in India’s Food Safety Standards.
These cover food additives, health supplements, nutraceuticals, food for special dietary use, food for special medical purposes, functional food, and novel food that use standardised ingredients.
Source: Emirates News Agency