Through a notification dated 21 August 2020 the FSSAI has Gazette Notified the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) first amendment Regulations, 2020 relating to Display of Information in food service establishment. The copies of the Gazette were made available to the public on the 15th October, 2018 and after taking into consideration the objections and suggestions received from the public in respect of the said draft regulations, the FSSAI has made the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) First Amendment Regulations, 2020, further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.
These regulations shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette and Food Business Operator shall comply with all the provisions of these regulations by
1 January, 2022. Compliance before this date shall be voluntary.
The Amendment Regulations are as follows.
In the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, in regulation 2.4: Specific Requirements/Restrictions on manner of labelling the following sub-regulation has been added.
‘2.4.6: Display of information in food service establishments
(1) Food Service Establishments having central license or outlets at ten or more locations shall mention the calorific value (in kcal per serving and serving size) against the food items displayed on the menu cards or boards or booklets and the reference information on calorie requirements shall also be displayed clearly and prominently as “An average active adult requires 2,000 kcal energy per day, however, calorie needs may vary”.
(2) Food Service Establishments shall also mention the information specified below against the food items displayed on the menu cards or boards or booklets as follows
(a) information relating to allergens, if food consists of or are made of the following:
- Cereals containing gluten; i.e., wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt or their hybridized strains and products of these
- Crustacean and their products
- Milk and milk products
- Eggs and egg products
- Fish and fish products
- Groundnut tree nuts and their products
- Soybeans and their products
- Sulphite in concentrations of 10mg/kg or more:
Provided that the allergens may be depicted by easy to understand symbols
(b) logo for vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
(3) The provisions of this regulation shall not be applicable to the following, namely:
- event caterers and food service premises that operate for less than sixty days in a calendar year (consecutively or non-consecutively)
- self-serve condiments that are free of charge and not listed on the menu; and
- special-order items or modified meals and menu items as per request of the customer.
(4) Food Service Establishments shall also provide nutritional information as specified under clause (3) of sub-regulation 2.2.2 Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods and specific requirements specified under clauses specific requirements specified under clauses (18), (25), (38), (46), (47) and (48) of sub-regulation 2.4.4, if applicable and information relating to organic food or ingredients, if claimed, for the food items sold by them to consumers upon request in the form of booklets or handouts or on their website:
[(18) – About every advertisement for and/or a package of food containing added Monosodium Glutamate
(25), – About labelling foods containing artificial sweetener
(38), – About labelling of food containing caffeine
(46), – About labelling of food containing Polyols
(47) – About labelling of food containing Polydextrose
(48) – About – Every package of fat spread, milk products, milk-based fruit drink, fermented milk products, soy and rice drink, cheese products, yoghurt products, spice sauces, salad dressings, juices and nectars containing plant stanol esters shall bear the following declarations]
Provided that deviation of twenty-five per cent. may be tolerated in case of nutritional information declaration.
(5) E-commerce Food Business Operators shall get the information referred to in clause (1), (2) and (4) from respective Food Business Operator and provide on their website wherever applicable.
(6) The Authority may specify other food service establishments also to comply with the requirements specified in these regulations from time to time.
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