There are several food products that are required to be sold under Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mandatory certification. This is in keeping with the relevant provisions in some Regulations notified under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. On 16 January 2018, the FSSAI has issued a notification where it has stated that the Food Authority is in the process of reviewing these provisions so as to understand whether these provisions for mandatory BIS certification are of any benefit to the Industry or consumers and whether they should be continued or not.
The FSSAI has also invited comments from stakeholders within three weeks from the above-mentioned date whether these provisions should continue or not along with justification for the same to enable the Food Authority to take a decision about continuing BIS certification or not.
Under regulation Restrictions relating to conditions for sale (2.3.14) Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 Clause 4 states that (“No person shall manufacture, sell, store or exhibit for sale, an infant milk food, infant formula and milk cereal-based weaning food, processed cereal-based weaning food and follow up formula except under Bureau of Indian Standards Certification Mark.) Therefore the following food required mandatory BIS certification
- Infant milk food
- Infant formula
- Milk cereal-based weaning food
- Processed cereal-based weaning food
- Follow up formula
The same applies to foods mentioned in Clause 5 of sub-regulation Restrictions relating to conditions for sale (2.3.14) of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 where BIS certification is required for
- Condensed milk sweetened
- Condensed skimmed milk sweetened
- Milk powder
- Skimmed Milk powder
- Partly skimmed milk powder
- Partly skimmed sweetened condensed milk
Clause 17 of sub-regulation Restrictions relating to conditions for sale (2.3.14) of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales ) Regulations, 2011 states that “No person shall manufacture, sell or exhibit for sale packaged drinking water except under the Bureau of Indian Standards Certification Mark.”
Clause 18 of sub-regulation Restrictions relating to conditions for sale (2.3.14) of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011 states that “No person shall manufacture, sell or exhibit for sale mineral water except under the Bureau of Indian Standards Certification Mark”.
Dr vally says
Sir
The discussion to reconsider mandatory certifications such as IS or AGMARK needs to be reviewed .Why it is to be reinstated? The rules and regulations regarding all those products under IS or Agmark are well described in FSSAI Act and regulation.If FSSAI is implemented no need of a second inspection. All types of Inspection is regarding Food Safety and quality There is no need of a no of depts involved in doing the same inspection. In all the countries such as US ,EU and other nations Food safety cotrol and monitoring is under a single department.there can be promotional agencies such as Councils/b oards etc but the mandatory controls shall be under a single authority