Part of a stricter regime on food safety in the wake of the ban on Maggi noodles by the FSSAI in June, companies currently suggest a ‘best before’ date.
NEW DELHI: Packaged food companies in India may soon have to be more explicit about theshelf life of their products with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) considering a plan to make it mandatory for manufacturers to print expiry dates on packs, said a top official of the apex regulator.
Part of a stricter regime on food safety in the wake of the ban on Maggi noodles by the FSSAIin June, companies currently suggest a 'best before' date. That's not enough, said the official, who didn't want to be named.
He also called on the industry and lobby groups that represent companies to move toward a self-regulatory framework similar to the one that the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has for its profession. There would then be no need for the FSSAI to intervene to the current extent, he said. The FSSAI has come under attack from the government and the industry for choking the sector.
Food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal told ET in an interview earlier this month that an "inspector raj" had spread fear among companies and was stalling innovation and investment. Applications for product approval are on hold because companies, including global companies, either don't provide data on shelf-life stability or make incorrect ingredient claims, said the regulatory official.
"The 'best before' date on the label indicates diminished nutritive value of the food product, which is still safe for consumption. However, for how long will it stay safe to consume after the 'best-before date' is not known," the official said. "By clearly stating the expiry date on the label, the safety of the consumer will be taken care of as the 'best before' date will always precede the expiry date. The 'best before' date can then be made optional."
The regulator will deal with pending applications for approval in three more technical officers to the screening committee that examines these, the person said. The committee is also meeting more frequently than before to clear the backlog. The regulatory official said the primary reason for the rejection of product approval applications was the absence of scientific data from companies, including MNCs.
"When a company is filing an application for product approval, one assumes that they are duly assisted by food experts and the product has gone through a scientific process of testing. However, many companies fail to give the shelf-life stability data sheet, which is mandatory," he said.
Shelf life refers to the duration for which a product and its ingredients are safe for consumption under varying temperature and humidity conditions over a period of time. At the time of development, shelf-life stability is determined through a real-time study or an accelerated process.
"If someone claims their product is good for, say, 18 months, unless you give me a shelf-life stability data sheet to prove this, how can it be approved?" said the official.
"Some companies simply write that the shelf life of my product is so much without the data sheet." Another reason for rejection of applications is claims made on labels. One breakfast cereal was said to contain oats and honey as the main ingredients. It was then found that they made up less than 10% of the content, said the official.
Another health drink claimed to contain almonds and pistachios. It did but in a tiny percentage. Chocolates are another area of disagreement. Vegetable oil is not permitted as an ingredient in chocolates, in line with similar restrictions in Swiss or Belgian standards.
Yet most 'chocolate' sold in the Indian market contains vegetable oil, ranging from 5% to 35%, so much so that some brands avoid using the word 'chocolate' on the packaging. A leading multinational brand, which uses milk solids and cocoa butter in its home market, once tried to export chocolate to India with 5% vegetable oil, he recalled.
He said there was great scope for consumer education and the FSSAI is willing to work with industry in this regard on everything from overages (in excess of normal levels) of nutrients in foods to the safety of flavour enhancer MSG for all save children below 1 year and those with specific allergies. Companies shouldn't adopt double standards when it comes to the Indian market simply because awareness about labelling and food safety is low.
"As long as companies treat Indian consumers at par with those in Europe or America the authority is ready to work towards resolving issues," he said. "However, they cannot strengthen the bottom line in their balance sheet at the cost of the Indian consumers."
ET View
Cooperate Towards Safe Food
Transitions tend to be fraught. It was but natural that India's unregulated food industry should experience some friction while moving to a regulated regime. The point is for the industry and the regulator to work together and avoid confrontation.
The industry will have to learn to be transparent about what its offering contains and will have to learn to follow the due process while applying for approval of new foods. The regulator, on its part, will have to learn to extend its approval fast.
The suggestion for the industry to create a self-regulatory body that will offer the first check is sound and merits attention. Consumer awareness and education must receive the attention of both the industry and the regulator, jointly and separately, so that needless scares such as over MSG, cease to be hurdles.
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