Through a direction issued on 19 January 2018, the FSSAI has permitted the use of stickers/stampings of fortification logo on the labels of fortified edible oils.
The FSSAI framed the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations 2017. The FSSAI issued directions that the +F or food fortification logo must be displayed on fortified food labels as given in Schedule II of the fortification of Foods Regulation 2017 along with the statement
Fortified with……………. (Name of the fortification). The FBOs can also give the statement SAMPPORNA POSHAN SWASTHA JEEVAN under the +F logo but this is optional and not mandatory, but the fortification is mandatory for all fortified foods.
The FSSAI has now received a number of representations from FBOs asking the FSSAI to permit the use of fortification logo with stickers/ stamping on existing labels. After due consideration, the FSSAI has decided to permit the use of fortification logo with stickers/ stamping on existing labels for edible oils fortified with vitamin A or vitamin D till 30 June 2018. FBOs will be permitted to do so subject to the fulfillment of all other provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2017.
About Food Fortification
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already operationalized the guidelines on fortification of food items such as salt, milk, wheat flour, rice and edible oil with the intention to address malnutrition problem which is prevalent in India. Food fortification is the most convenient and cheapest method to help people overcome nutrient deficiencies.
FSSAI has formulated comprehensive regulations for fortified foods, which are called the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2016, which were amended in 2017. The regulations include standards for fortification of wheat flour, maida, oil, milk, rice, salt and edible oil. A particular focus of FSSAI on food fortification has been on products that are used on a daily basis. As per the Household Consumer Expenditure Survey 2014, people in India consume 300g/day of cereals about 25g of oil per day and around 8-10g/day of salt. Therefore, fortification of these staples will go a long way to address the problem of malnutrition.
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