Draft Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Regulations, 2018: Duty to Display
Ministry of Health and Welfare[1]
vide notification dated October 08, 2018 has brought in the draft Food Safety
and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Regulations, 2018 (“2018 Regulation”) for public comments
and suggestion. The 2018 Regulation intends to bring about an insertion in Regulation
2.4, after sub-regulation 2.4.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and
Labelling) Regulations, 2011. Keeping in mind the increasing health awareness
among the public toward the food intake and calories count, duty of display of various
relevant information has been imposed on the food service establishments.
The 2018 Regulation states that all food
service establishments (“establishment”)
having central license or outlets at 10 or more locations shall display
calorific value of each of the food items sold by them on their menu cards or
boards. Further, the establishment are also required to display the reference
information on the requirements of 2000 Kcal energy for an average adult per
day.
Further, the establishments are also
required to ensure display of the following information at the point of sale or
service of the food:
- any warning/gluten free and low
gluten status in food; and - information relating to
statutory declarations required under these regulations; - information relating to
allergens in the food; - logo for veg or non-veg;
- Information relating to organic
food or ingredients.
The
duty for display of the abovementioned information has not been restricted only
to the brick and mortar outlets but has also been extended to e-commerce food
business operators. Further, the establishments along with the e-commerce
business operators are also required to keep written nutritional information on
the food items sold by them in the form of booklets or handouts or on their
website. Such nutritional information shall be made readily available to the
customers as and when requested from their end.
It is pertinent to note that the
abovementioned display duty is not applicable on event caterers and food
service premises that operate for less than 60 days in a calendar year,
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 customer’s request.
Contributed by
Sindhuja Kashyap
[1] https://www.fssai.gov.in/home/fss-legislation/notifications/draft-notification.html
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