NEW DELHI: Health supplements, nutraceuticals, probiotics and other functional food products will have to go through a stringent regulatory scanner and comply with specific norms before entering the market.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come up with a gazette notification issuing benchmark standards covering as many as eight different categories of foods.
The regulations, in line with international food safety standards, make it mandatory for food business operators to declare essential composition of their products on the packaging. This includes a detailed declaration of nutrient as well organism content in products like nutraceuticals and probiotics.
Besides, the regulations also pertain to claims and labelling. For instance, these items that often claim health benefits will have to mandatorily differentiate themselves from pharmaceutical products by declaring on the label "not for medicinal use". Health supplements, on the other hand, will have to carry the words "health Supplement" on their label.
Similarly, FSSAI has also defined different categories and set norms for claims for each of the category. For instance, if a "nutrient content claim" is being made in case of food products falling under health supplement categories, the individual nutrient content shall not be less than 15% of the recommended daily allowance, as per the FSSAI.
Product approvals in future will be in compliance with the new regulations, an official said. The FSSAI has given a year's time to food operators to comply with the regulations, which will be effective from January 1, 2018.
The regulations assume significance with increasing number of functional foods entering the Indian market.
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