FSSAI Releases New Food Packaging Norms & New Directions on Implementation of Nutraceuticals Reg

FSSAI Releases New Food Packaging Norms & New Directions on Implementation of Nutraceuticals Reg

FSSAI’s new packaging regulations have been notified. The new regulations replace all provisions w.r.t. packaging requirements prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. Recognizing the importance of packaging in the food sector and its impact on food safety, the packaging regulations have been separated from the labelling regulations and a separate Scientific Panel for food packaging is planned. : Food businesses need to comply with new packaging regulations that bar use of recycled plastics and newspapers to wrap food articles by July 1.

Primary objective of packaging is to protect the food contents from microbiological, chemical, physical and atmospheric contamination and preserve the food and thereby protect consumer’s health. Good packaging also ensures that there is no change in sensory properties or composition of food when packed.

Packaging is essential and critical for promoting food safety, extended shelf-life and thereby enhancing food security. Besides, general and specific requirement with respect to packaging materials, the regulations also prescribe overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials. The regulations specify the suggestive list of packaging materials for different food product categories. As per these regulations, the packaging materials used for packing or storing the food products shall conform to the Indian Standards provided in the schedules.

Further, there are serious concerns about safety of loose packaging material. Thus, these regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food. Further, taking cognizance of the carcinogenic effect of inks and dyes, these regulations also prohibits the use of newspaper and such other materials for packing or wrapping of food articles and includes respective Indian standard for printing inks for use on food packages.

CEO, FSSAI, Pawan Agarwal pointed that ‘the new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level. He pointed out that there would be difficulties in implementation of these regulations particularly as far as they relate to the loose packaging materials and to the unorganised sector’. Thus, sufficient lead time has been given before the regulations come into force. The food businesses shall have to comply with these regulations by 1st July, 2019. He added that stakeholder’s consultation and mass awareness building amongst consumers and food businesses would precede implementation of the new packaging regulations.

FSSAI Issues New Directions on the Implementation of Nutraceuticals Regulations

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced the implementation of “Gazette Notification of Food Safety and Standards (Food or Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Foods for Special Dietary Uses, Foods for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Foods and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016” on January 1, 2018.

This regulation covers the requirements related to composition, claims, labeling, etc. for the following categories:

• health supplements
• nutraceuticals
• foods for special dietary purpose
• foods for special medical purpose
• specialty food containing plant or botanicals
• food containing probiotics
• food containing prebiotics
• novel food

Aside from this, the regulation provides a section on vitamins, minerals, botanical ingredients, food additives, probiotics and prebiotics, etc.

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