Through a direction dated 15 June 2017 the FSSAI has once again extended the date for compliance with regard to the declaration of class title, trans fat, content and saturated fat content on labels of food products. FSSAI has already extended the date a number of times but has been compelled to extend the same because of representation from a number of stakeholders. The date for compliance now stands as 30 September 2017.
Through a notification dated 25 May 2017 the FSSAI had made regulations called the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Second Amendment Regulations, 2016. These regulations were applicable for labeling of edible vegetable oils, edible vegetable fats and trans fats in various packaged foods. Declaration on the food labels must mention the class like Edible vegetable oil and also display the name of the specific edible oil such as mustard oil, groundnut oil, etc. For Edible vegetable fat, the FBO must mention the type of vegetable fat whether it is interesterified vegetable fat, hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils. They must also mention if the edible vegetable fat is in the class of margarine or fat spreads, such as mixed fat spreads, vegetable fat spreads. This means that the labeling of vegetable oil and vegetable fat is now separate and will be different and not combined as was the practice earlier.
FSSAI had extended the timeline for compliance with this labeling change through directions issued on 30 July 2016, 1 December 2016 and 2 March 2017. However, once again stakeholders have appealed to the FSSAI to extend the date for compliance as they have not yet been able to liquidate the existing stock of their products, including those products that have been launched just recently. In view of the representation, the FSSAI has therefore agreed to extend the date for compliance once again to 30 September 2017.
FSSAI has also asked FBOs to take note that this will be the last extension and after this date, the FBOs will have to comply with the declaration of class title, trans fat, content and saturated fat content on labels of food products. They will also have to declare the declare the quantity of trans fat content and saturated fat content on the label under ‘Nutritional information’ in amounts of the gram (g) or milliliter (ml) as well as the serving measure.
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