New Rules Tighten Quality Standards for Fruits and Vegetables
The Government of India has introduced stricter quality standards for fruits and vegetables with the notification of the Fruits and Vegetables Grading and Marking (Amendment) Rules, 2024. These amendments are aimed at ensuring food safety and enhancing the quality of produce both for domestic consumption and export.
Sugar And Spice But Everything’s Not So Nice
The Supreme Court (SC) of India has taken notice of a Public Interest Litigation emphasizing the need for clear and interpretive labels that indicate the levels of sugars, salt, and saturated fats in food products. The PIL underscores the critical public health issue posed by the increasing prevalence of NCDs, such as diabetes and heart disease, which are significantly linked to unhealthy food consumption.
Extended Validity of Non-Food Production Units Collecting Used Cooking Oil
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has extended the validity of the provisional enrollment for 50 Non-Food Production (NFP) units involved in collecting used cooking oil (UCO) from food business operators (FBOs). The extension will be valid until July 31, 2025, or until state-specific registration mechanisms are established as per the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas guidelines.
FSSAI Reverses Order on Used Cooking Oil (UCO)
FSSAI has once again mandated that cooking oil with a TPC value above 25% should not be topped up with fresh oil. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has withdrawn its earlier order that had removed bar on mixing fresh oil with used cooking oil with a Total Polar Compound (TPC) value above 25%.
FSSAI Warns Against Use of Non-Standardized Ingredients in Fruit Juices
The advisory highlights the concern over the use of ingredients like ‘Deionized apple juice concentrate’, which is not permitted under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations. FBOs have been directed to obtain approval for such non-specified food ingredients under the FSS (Approval for Non-Specific Food and Food Ingredients) Regulation, 2017.
FSSAI Re-Operationalizes Draft Standards for Packaged Drinking Water
The revised standards focus on parameters such as total dissolved solids, calcium, and magnesium content in packaged drinking water. These changes aim to ensure the quality and safety of drinking water available to consumers. These new standards will come into effect on July 1, 2024.
FSSAI Notifies Additional NABL Accredited Laboratories In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has modified its list of laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). It has notified two more laboratories for food sample analysis in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
FSSAI Re-operationalizes Food Safety Licensing Amendment Regulations, 2021
The Food Safety And Standards Authority Of India (FSSAI) had first introduced an amendment titled Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Amendment Regulations, 2018. FSSAI, by the present notice dated July 19, 2024, has issued a direction re-operationalizing this amendment regulation.
Iron-Fortified Foods To No Longer Include Warnings
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has omitted the specific label warning for people with Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anaemia for iron-fortified food products. This change was brough about based on a review by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW).
Fresh Updates To List Of Notified And Referral Laboratories Testing Fortified Rice Products
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has once again revised its lists of notified and referral laboratories authorized to test the nutrient content of fortified rice products. FSSAI permits these laboratories to analyze samples of Fortified Rice (FR), Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) and Vitamin-Mineral Premix for FRK for iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin B9.
