Through a notification dated 30 July 2016 the FSSAI has extended the time period for complying with declaration of class title, trans fat content and saturated fat content on label of pre-packaged food products. Through an earlier notification the FSSAI had made amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations 2011 in the category of ‘Labelling of pre-packaged Foods’ wherein it had changed the way trans fat and saturated fat content was displayed on nutritional information labels as well as class titles in the list of ingredients.
This amendment made it mandatory to declare the exact content of trans-fats and saturated fats on all food products so consumers are aware of the quantity of fats in each serving of the product and make informed choices. This means that the nutritional labels must display the exact quantity by weight (milligrams/grams) of how much trans fat or saturated fat content the food product contains. The amendment also made it mandatory to declare the exact source or type of Edible vegetable oils/Edible vegetable fat’ used in the food products in the class title. For edible vegetable oil the exact source of edible oil had to be declared as edible vegetable mustard oil or groundnut etc. For edible fat label declaration must state if the fat is interesterified vegetable fat, hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils, etc.
Since the amendment has been approved and published in the Official Gazette the food business operators had to comply with these amendments which had come into effect through a notification dated 25 May, 2016. However, the FSSAI has received a large number of representations from stakeholders to defer the dates of the implementation of this labelling regulation. Seeing that a large number of food business operators have not yet utilised their existing stock of packaging material the FSSAI has agreed for an extension in date for complying with this labelling amendment. Earlier label declarations only stated that the food contained trans fat, saturated fats and edible vegetable oils and fats not the exact quantity or the source.
The FSSAI has extended the date for complying with label declaration of class titles, trans fat and saturated fat content on packaged food products for a period of six months to 2 December 2016.
Every package of edible oils, interesterified vegetable fat, both hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, edible fats, margarine and fat spreads (mixed fat spread and vegetable fat spread) and package of food in which fats, oils and fat emulsions is used as an ingredient shall now declare the quantity of trans fat content and saturated fat content on the nutritional information label as well as make necessary changes in the class title under ingredients used by 2 December 2016 to be in compliance with Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Second Amendment Regulations, 2016.
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