General Requirements of Food Labelling applicable to all products : Module 2

General Requirements of Food Labelling applicable to all products

The FSS Packaging and Labelling, Regulations intends, when a consumer buys any food product in pre-packaged containers, he gets all the necessary information about the food product on the label affixed on the container, so that the consumer can make his choice to buy it or not to buy it.

The information on the label should be clear, visible and in simple and understandable language to the consumer. To ensure that the labelling is not done just for compliance of the Regulations, but it actually serves its purpose to provide the necessary and correct information to the consumer, the Regulations prescribe the general requirement of labelling and manner of declaration on the labels to be followed by the concerned Food Business Operators.

2.1 General Requirements of Food Labelling

1. Every pre-packaged food shall carry a label containing the required information. The particulars of declaration on the label shall be in English or Hindi in Devanagari script.
2. The use of any other language in addition to English and Hindi languages is also allowed.
3. Pre-packaged food shall not be labelled in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character in any respect.
4. The Label in pre-packaged foods shall be applied in such a manner that they will not become separated from the container during transportage or other wise.
5. Contents on the label shall be clear, prominent, indelible and readily legible by the consumer under normal conditions of purchase and use.
6. Where wrapper covers the container, the wrapper shall carry the necessary information or the label on the container shall be readily legible through the outer wrapper.
7. As per the latest amendment, the license number has to be displayed on the principal display panel.
   
   

Manner of declaration:

1. Any information or pictorial device written, printed, or graphic matter may be displayed in the label, only if it is not in conflict with the requirements of these Regulations.

2. Every declaration, which is required to be made on package, shall be:

(i) definite, plain and unambiguous
(ii) the font size of the letters should be appropriate and in colour contrast with the background of the label.

3. No declaration shall be made so as to require it to be read through any liquid commodity contained in the package.

4. Labels should not to contain false or misleading statements: A label should not contain any statement, claim, design, device, fancy name or abbreviation which is false or misleading in any particular concerning the food contained in the package, or concerning the quantity or the nutritive value or in relation to the place of origin of the said food:

The established trade or fancy names of confectionery, biscuits and sweets, such as, barley, sugar, bull’s eye, cream cracker or aerated waters, such as, Ginger Beer or Gold-Spot or any other name in existence under the international trade practice are exempted from this clause.

5. The information required shall be given on the principal display panel /label of the package or container and such information may be grouped together and given at one place.

6.Area of the principal display panel or size of the label should be in proportion to the size of the packaging or the container.

(a) In the case of a rectangular container ,the area of principal display panel or the size of label shall not be less than forty percent of the product of height and width of the container.
(b) In case of cylindrical or , round or , oval or nearly oval container, , the area of principal display panel/ label shall not be less than twenty percent of the product of the height and average circumference of such container; or
(c) In the case of container of any other shape, it shall be not less than twenty percent of the total surface area of the container

7. The letters and numerals used in the label declaration should be of proper height and width in accordance to the size of the packaging. The minimum size of the letter prescribed for the smallest size of packaging of up to 50 g or 50 ml. is, height-1 mm. and minimum width 0.33 mm.

Overall purpose of this study is to make sure the information provided on the food label can easily be read and it is not too small to be properly recognized. No false or misleading claims are to be mentioned on the label.

Rs.14 lakh worth gutka seized

Food Safety officials of the GVMC on Wednesday seized two tonnes of gutka (chewing tobacco) sachets worth Rs.14 lakh from the One Town area of the city. The officials conducted raids in the Kobbarithota and Chaluvathota areas, seized the gutka, and booked cases against Yerribabu and Gowri.

Gutka, pan masala seized

The Static Surveillance Team (SST) on Wednesday seized banned gutka and pan masala items worth Rs. 4 lakh from a vehicle plying from Bangalore, on Keerambur Road here on Wednesday. The vehicle and the items were handed over to K. Tamil Selvan, District Designated Officer, Food Safety and Drug Administration Department. Officials said that if the items were to be sold in the State, they would be seized and action would be taken against the driver.

Albania's food safety boss sacked over 'moonshine' arrest

(Reuters) - Albania's prime minister sacked the country's food safety chief on Wednesday after it emerged that he had been arrested in 2012 for selling illicit home-made alcohol.

Aleksander Kalemaj was never prosecuted, but his arrest for involvement in a 'moonshine' operation has embarrassed Prime Minister Edi Rama.

"After checks requested by the prime minister, employee Aleksander Kalemaj has been relieved of his duties and no longer serves as Head of the Food Sector at the Risk Management Department of the National Food Authority," the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

Rama was forced to act after Albanian media revealed Kalemaj had been caught by police in October 2012 in possession of more than 500 litres of illicit alcohol including brandy and beer.

The interior ministry confirmed to Reuters that the arrest - 18 months before Kalemaj's appointment as food safety chief - had taken place.

The opposition said the affair showed weaknesses in the way the government appointed people to senior positions.

"Edi Rama talks at length about merit and professionalism and cites examples from Britain and France, but when it comes to delicate jobs with great public responsibility he lets the wolf guard the sheep," Democratic Party lawmaker Voltana Ademi told reporters. (Reporting By Benet Koleka; Editing by Matt Robinson and Robin Pomeroy)

Call for Ban on Consumption of Pan Masala, Gutkha in State

Taking a cue from the stand taken by Assam, which has banned consumption of harmful tobacco-based pan masala and gutkha products by law, a collective call has been made in the state for a similar legislation.

Kerala’s bureaucrats, health professionals, social activists and tobacco use victims, have made the call, reflecting popular sentiments and raising the point that the desired impact of the ban of reducing public health burden cannot be achieved unless consumption is also prohibited.

K Anil Kumar, Food Safety Department, the regulating authority for the effective implementation of the ban on pan masala and gutkha in the state, said, “Ever since our state banned these products in 2012, we have been taking stringent action against violators. However, the illicit smuggling of these products into our state has been a major challenge in implementing the effective ban of pan masala and gutkha containing tobacco and nicotine. As such, any positive step in addition to this ban order or strengthening this ban order would be highly desirable. This would also help in curbing use among children in their vulnerable ages.”

Kerala was the second state in the country after Madhya Pradesh to ban the manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations 2011. 

Superintendent, Regional Cancer Centre here, said that while oncologists and medical fraternity at large can treat and provide care to the cancer afflicted, a legislative reform, as has been effected in Assam, would have far-reaching positive implications.

“Chewing tobacco, whether it is pan masala or gutkha, is a major cause of cancers affecting the head and neck in Kerala. I have seen several youngsters who have lost their taste buds, parts of their tongue and jawbones due to use of these smokeless tobacco products. This sorry state can be corrected to a great extent if Kerala can also legislatively ban the consumption of chewing tobacco products,” Dr Ramadas said. K S Varghese, retired CI of Police , who is a tobacco-induced cancer survivor said, “I took to the habit of using chewing tobacco to keep away sleep during night patrolling, and its use made me a cancer patient. I am now disease-free but the cancer which afflicted me had shattered my wife and two children.”

“It is heartening that Assam has given us a worthy example to emulate and follow. As someone who has seen the suffering of cancer victims in palliative care, I feel that everything possible should be done to bring down cancer incidence in our state. Banning consumption of all forms of chewing tobacco products by law and imposing strict penalty on violators would be an effective move,” said Vimala Menon, social activist and Secretary, Cheshire Home here.

Assam has banned consumption of pan masala, gutkha, zarda etc containing tobacco and/or nicotine under the Assam Health (Prohibition of manufacturing, advertisement, trade, storage, distribution, sale and consumption of zarda, gutkha, pan masala, etc, containing tobacco and/or nicotine) Act, 2013. 

The Act prohibits ‘’consumption including possession of zarda, gutkha, pan masala etc., containing tobacco and/or nicotine and various types of smokeless and chewing tobacco or any of it derivatives in any form.’’ Further, the Act also makes specific reference to prohibiting ads of these products. Violators of the law are liable to be punished with imprisonment up to seven years and a fine between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. Consumption or possession of zarda, gutka and pan masala containing tobacco is punishable with a fine of Rs 1,000 for the first offence and Rs 2,000 for each subsequent offences.

Quality Norms by Food Safety Authorities Curtail on Trading in Black Pepper

Mar 20, 

According to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), it requires that there shouldn’t be any mold (fungus) in the pepper stocks. As per trade sources, making completely mold-free pepper would involve additional costs which would come to Rs.10 -15 a kg. As per their view, even the US Asta allows 1 per cent mold in the pepper imports. So, traders activity reported declined due to strict quality guidelines.

Centre to issue final notification on use of plant stanols and sterols

Mar 20, 2014 

The Centre will issue the final notification on the use of plant stanols and sterols in foods. This is a move that is expected to give an impetus to the novel developments in the areas of nutraceuticals, functional foods and dietary supplements. 

A communiqué from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), an agency of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, stated that under the fortification category of food product standards and food additives, phyto or plant stanol esters and sterols may be added to fat spreads, milk products, milk-based fruit drinks, fermented milk products, soy and rice drinks, cheese products, yoghurt products, spice sauces, salad dressings, juices and nectars. This would allow consumers to easily their consumption to a maximum of 3g per day. 

The draft guidance also stated that either one portion of 3g or three portions of one gram each would be added under Sub-regulation 48 of Regulation 2.4.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. 

Products containing phyto or plant stanols and sterols could be sold in single portions containing either maximum 3g or 1g of phyto or plant stanols or sterols, calculated as free phyto or plant stanols. If the products do not contain these, there should be a clear indication of what constitutes a standard portion of the food, expressed in grams or millilitres, and of the amount of phyto or plant stanols/sterols, calculated as free phyto or plant stanols, contained in such a portion. 

In the proposed notification, the addition of Trehalose (a non-reducing sugar found in plants, which is now permitted as an ingredient in foods like biscuits, bread, cakes, breakfast cereals, carbonated water drinks, carbohydrate-based and milk-based sweets like gulab jamun, rosogolla, peda, khoya burfi, macaroni products, noodles, pasta, confectionery, candies, icing, savouries and snacks) is underway. 

Label declaration under Sub-regulation 49 of Paragraph 2.4.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, for both these additives being permitted in specific categories of foods would also be notified to aid consumers with proper information.

Commenting on these regulatory developments, Dr D B A Narayana, member of FSSAI’s scientific panel, said that the final notification was likely to be mandated with a specific advisory label indicating the presence of plant sterols/stanols as well as Trehalose, as applicable, especially for a certain section of the population like nursing mothers and pregnant women who need to be cautious with the intake of such products in the interest of consumer information and safety.

Packaged food firms ignore salt display rule leaving customers in the dark

Three out of four packaged foods available across the country fail to display salt levels despite regulations put in place by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) defining the minimum requirements for labelling the nutritional content of such products. 

A survey conducted by the George Institute for Global Health India has revealed that large numbers of packaged food products available in stores fail to display data on the amount of sodium present, thus preventing consumers from making informed choices. 

The survey covering 7,124 products available in Indian supermarkets revealed that only 26 per cent of packaged foods displayed sodium content on the label, thus making them noncompliant with the minimum labeling requirements of Codex – the international body governing food labeling. 

Guess work: Customers are not being advised as to their food's salt content in shops

The study is part of a larger project that is gathering evidence to initiate a national salt reduction programme in India.

"The preliminary findings of the study are a matter of great concern as consumers are eating progressively more processed foods generally containing higher levels of salt. This is not good for people in a country which is already projected to have an even larger noncommunicable diseases (NCD) burden in the future," said Dr Vivekanand Jha, executive director of George Institute for Global Health India. 

The average across all categories of products, ranging from bread and bakery products to snacks foods, was 73.2 per cent "unlabelled" for sodium. 

People are supposed to consume no more than 5 gm of salt, or sodium chloride, and 2,000 mg of sodium a day. If the content of salt or sodium in any product is unusually high, for example 2.5 gm, then it should ring alarm bells that tell the consumer that e is consuming half of his daily intake allowance in one portion of the food item. 

The ongoing project, being run by the George Institute for Global Health in collaboration with the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, will gather information on dietary salt intake levels among a sample of people in North and South India and collect nutrient information on packaged and other food available for purchase.

The George Institute for Global Health is an international medical research organization that has a wide-ranging programme of healthcare research and enterprise spanning over 50 countries.

ARORA SENT LEGAL NOTICE TO FOR STORING EXPIRED JUICE FOR CONSUMPTION BY MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN

Chandigrh :

Advocate H.C.Arora demaned D-Registration of Navjivini School of Special Education, Sular (Patiala)

City Advocate seeks action against Navjivini School of Special Education, Sular (Patiala) for storing expired juice for consumption by mentally retarded children. Advocate H.C. Arora has today sent demand notices to (i) Chairperson, National Trust for welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities, New Delhi (via e-mail); (ii) Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, New Delhi, and Deputy Commissioner, Patiala (Punjab),demanding de-registration of Navjivini School of Special Education, Sular (Patiala) with the “National Trust for Mentally Retarded”, and for recovering all the grants given to this School by “National Trust for Mentally Retarded”, with interest, for maltreatment of the mentally ill and mentally retarded children. Arora has referred to news reports of March 11th, published in almost all news papers to the effect that that on March 10TH, 2014, a team of District Health Department conducted a surprise raid at one of the organization registered with the ‘National Trust for Mentally Retarded”, namely Navjivini School of Special Education, Sular, District Patiala (Punjab) , and seized expired boxes of fruit juice from the store of the said School. As per news reports published in various newspapers, 150 cartons of expired juice were lying in the store. These cartons carried the date of manufacturing as June, 2013, and their expiry date had already lapsed about two months ago. Samples taken by the team have been sent to Chandigarh laboratory for testing. Remaining cartons of juice have been destroyed. It is worth noticing that, 175 students are studying, and 43 students stay in the Hostel, in this School. In a separate demand notice sent to DC, Patiala, and Civil Surgeon, Patiala, Arora has called upon them to take steps for prosecution of the Management of this School under the provisions of Section 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, for storing such huge quantity of unsafe food, for consumption by mentally ill and mentally retarded children. The aforesaid provision prescribes a sentence of imprisonment upto six months and also a fine of Rs. One lac for storing “unsafe food” by any person, for purpose of human consumption. Arora has stated in the demand notice that if the addressees do not take any appropriate steps for meeting his demand within 2 weeks, in that situation, he would be left with no other option except to file a PIL in the High Court, for redressal of his grievances.

Confused Food safety authorities have no policy against dry tobacco items

Srinagar, Mar 19: After becoming 15th state to ban Gutkha in 2012, food safety and security authorities have no policy against the dry tobacco items which are freely sold in market in other formats to disguise the order issued by department of Food Safety, Jammu and Kashmir.

Exercising powers vested under clause (a) of sub-section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act., Commissioner of Food Safety, Jammu and Kashmir issued a notification [HD/Drug/58/2012] and banned the sale, storage, manufacture and transportation of 'Gutkha' in 2012. However over the passages of at least two years, companies managed to doge the authorities and succeed in selling such products in the market in other forms like Khani which is a tobacco product.

Around 14% of Indian adults smoke cigarettes and "beedis" (hand-rolled cigarettes), but nearly 26% use smokeless tobacco, including chewing tobacco, according to the Government of India and World Health Organization Global Adult Tobacco Survey of 2009 - 2010.

India has the highest number of oral cancers in the world after a group of entrepreneurs known locally as "gutka barons" turned a 400-year-old tobacco product hand-rolled in betel leaves into a spicy blend sold for 2 cents on street corners from Bangalore to New Delhi. Sales of chewing tobacco, worth 210.3 billion rupees ($4.6 billion) in 2004, are on track to double by 2014, according to Datamonitor, a branch of the international research firm based in Hyderabad, India, now same is the sold in market from Kashmir to Kaniyakumari under new brands and as separate products other than food.

A campaign called 'Voices of Tobacco Victims' in 2008 advocates for more stringent tobacco control in India. The campaign empowers cancer survivors to tell their stories to influence policymakers and raise awareness among other tobacco users about the damaging effects of tobacco on health.

The campaign's greatest success has been to ban the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of "gutka," a form of chewing tobacco commonly consumed in India, including by children.

"Pure chewing tobacco and Paan Masala continue to be sold as two separate packets that users can mix themselves before consumption to disguise ban and they contains chromium, nickel, arsenic and lead as well as tobacco-related nitrosamines, all of which are known carcinogens. Tragically, 0.023% of orphans in Kashmir both girls and boys use such like products, which they usually call as gutka or Khani," Rao Farman Ali said, quoting his research carried on orphans of Jammu and Kashmir. 

An official in Food and Safety department whishing anonymity told early Times that after the ban in 2012, campiness manufacturing 'Gutkha' items have managed to disguise the department by changing the brand names while as the Gutkha continues to flood the market in other forms. "After PIL which later banned 'Gutkha' Companies just changed the brand names and are flooding the market with Khani name brand which is same as the Ghutka," he said.