FSSAI has published the Draft Regulations of the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Amendment Regulations, 2020. These were published on 31st August 2020 by a notification dated 27th August 2020.
The Drafts Regulation proposes the following changes:
Exemption from National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India) and other notified systems
Aggregators or Intermediaries who collect organic food and sell it to end consumers directly are exempted from the provisions of these systems. However, this organic food must be collected from the original producer or producer organisation.
Furthermore, such aggregators and intermediaries are required to maintain records fo traceability. They must also comply with any one of the systems. Additionally, these products will not bear the FSSAI Organic logo.
Labelling of In-conversion products under PGS-India and Conversion products under NPOP
The draft proposes that In-Conversion Products under the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS-India) may be labelled as ‘PGS-Green’ and ‘In-conversion to organic’. On the other hand, Conversion Products under NPOP may be labelled as ‘In-conversion to organic’. These products will also not bear the FSSAI Organic logo.
The FSSAI seeks objections and suggestions from the general public on the draft regulation within 60 days from when the notification is made available to the public. Such objections and suggestions may be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Food and Drug Administration Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi – 110002. They may also be sent through an email addressed to the Food Authority: regulation@fssai.gov.in
