Jan 4, 2019
FSSAI asks food biz to comply with new packaging norms by July 1
The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.
New Delhi: Food businesses need to comply with new packaging regulations that bar use of recycled plastics and newspapers to wrap food articles by July 1, regulator FSSAI said on Thursday.
The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.
Taking cognizance of the carcinogenic effect of inks and dyes, the norms also prohibit the use of newspaper and such other materials for packing or wrapping of food articles and includes respective Indian standard for printing inks for use on food packages.
“The new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level,” Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said in a statement.
He also said that there would be “difficulties” in implementation of these regulations by the unorganised sector and therefore sufficient time has been given before the regulations come into force.
“The food businesses shall have to comply with these regulations by 1st July, 2019,” he said.
Agarwal also mentioned that stakeholder’s consultation and mass awareness building amongst consumers and food businesses would precede implementation of the new packaging regulations.
Besides general and specific requirement with respect to packaging materials, the FSSAI said new regulations also prescribe overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials.
The regulations specify the suggestive list of packaging materials for different food product categories.
As per these regulations, packaging materials used for packing or storing the food products should conform to the Indian standards provided in the schedules.
The new norms will replace all provisions with respect to packaging requirements prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.
Recognising the importance of packaging in the food sector and its impact on food safety, packaging regulations have been separated from labelling regulations.
The primary objective of packaging is to protect the food contents from micro-biological, chemical, physical and atmospheric contamination and preserve the food and thereby protect consumer’s health.
Good packaging also ensures that there is no change in sensory properties or composition of food when packed. Packaging is essential and critical for promoting food safety, extended shelf-life and thereby enhancing food security.
FSSAI issues food packing rules
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has prohibited the use of packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry-bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing food articles.
The authority has set a deadline of July 1, 2019, for food businesses to comply with the new regulations that now replace all provisions with respect to packaging requirements prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.
According to Pawan Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI, the new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level.
Pointing to the difficulties in implementation of these regulations, particularly the loose packaging materials in the unorganised sector, he said that sufficient lead time has been given before the regulations come into force. He added that stakeholders’ consultation and mass awareness building among consumers and food businesses would precede implementation of the new packaging regulations.
In addition to general and specific requirement with respect to packaging materials, the regulations prescribe overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials. The regulations specify the suggestive list of packaging materials for different food product categories.
As per these regulations, the packaging materials used for packing or storing the food products shall conform to the Indian Standards provided in the schedules.
The new regulations are based on two studies conducted by the authority through the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), Mumbai and the National Test House (NTH), Kolkata.
The studies showed that the packaging material used by the organised sector is largely safe but there are concerns about the use of packaging material by the unorganised/informal sector. Further, there are serious concerns about the safety of loose packaging material.
“It is in the interest of all food business operators (FBOs) to follow high standards of packaging so that the quality of the food and the safety of their consumers is never compromised. On the premise that the government expects reasonable and cost-friendly corrections to be made, this will benefit consumers and also favourably raise the bar for the entire industry,” said Ravi Wazir, a food and restaurant industry consultant.
Taking cognisance of the carcinogenic effect of inks and dyes, these regulations also prohibit the use of newspaper and such other materials for packing or wrapping of food articles and includes respective Indian standard for printing inks for use on food packages.
FSSAI said in a statement that the primary objective of packaging is to protect the food contents from microbiological, chemical, physical and atmospheric contamination and preserve the food and thereby protect consumer’s health. Good packaging also ensures that there is no change in sensory properties or composition of food when packed. Packaging is essential and critical for promoting food safety, extended shelf-life and thereby enhancing food security, it said.
With new food quality standards already in place, FSSAI will be focusing on enforcing the regulations without impacting businesses. During 2018, FSSAI accelerated the process of setting standards and notified 27 new regulations for food standards.
CRISP AND CLEAR
- The rules also prescribe specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials
- They also include respective Indian standard for printing inks for use on food packages
Stop using recycled plastics, newspapers to wrap food items: FSSAI to food biz
The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.
Food businesses need to comply with new packaging regulations that bar use of recycled plastics and newspapers to wrap food articles by July 1, regulator FSSAI said Thursday.
The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.
Taking cognizance of the carcinogenic effect of inks and dyes, the norms also prohibit the use of newspaper and such other materials for packing or wrapping of food articles and includes respective Indian standard for printing inks for use on food packages.
"The new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level," Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said in a statement.
He also said that there would be "difficulties" in implementation of these regulations by the unorganised sector and therefore sufficient time has been given before the regulations come into force.
"The food businesses shall have to comply with these regulations by 1st July, 2019," he said.
Agarwal also mentioned that stakeholder's consultation and mass awareness building amongst consumers and food businesses would precede implementation of the new packaging regulations.
Besides general and specific requirement with respect to packaging materials, the FSSAI said new regulations also prescribe overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials.
The regulations specify the suggestive list of packaging materials for different food product categories. As per these regulations, packaging materials used for packing or storing the food products should conform to the Indian standards provided in the schedules.
The new norms will replace all provisions with respect to packaging requirements prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. Recognising the importance of packaging in the food sector and its impact on food safety, packaging regulations have been separated from labelling regulations.
The primary objective of packaging is to protect the food contents from micro-biological, chemical, physical and atmospheric contamination and preserve the food and thereby protect consumer's health.
Good packaging also ensures that there is no change in sensory properties or composition of food when packed. Packaging is essential and critical for promoting food safety, extended shelf-life and thereby enhancing food security.
FDA directs three chikki manufacturers to stop work
Pimpri Chinchwad: The state food and drug administration (FDA) has directed three chikki manufacturers in Lonavla, Loni Kalbhor and Kondhwa Budruk to cease work immediately for flouting food safety rules.
“A team headed by food safety inspector inspected the manufacturing units last week and found several discrepancies in the manufacturing process. That is why they have been told to shut down,” Sampat Deshmukh, assistant commissioner, FDA, Pune, said.
The Union government had approved Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Rules 2011 to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food. According to the rules, a manufacturer needs to have a well-equipped laboratory to ensure safety of food, otherwise it must get the product tested from FSSAI-approved NABL laboratory.
“The three chikki manufacturers did not follow this rule. Further, they did not have the laboratory report on potable water used by them. Also, they did not have technically-qualified persons to monitor the manufacturing process,” said Deshmukh.
The manufacturers will have to take measures to remove these lacunae and submit a compliance report to the FDA following which they will be allowed to resume manufacturing.
Earlier, FDA had issued stop work notice to Lonavla’s Maganlal Chikki in December last year for not following FSSAI norms.
FDA seizes adulterated sonpapdi
Nagpur: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) team seized 4,873kg adulterated sonpapdi worth Rs3,16,745 from Ganga Sweets, Pachpaoli, recently.
Acting on a tip off that owner Raju Shivaji Bhunje was using green colour-coated groundnut pieces instead of pista in manufacture of sonpapdi, FDA team led by Milind Deshpande, assistant commissioner (Food), and comprising of food safety officers Anant Chaudhary, Abhay Deshpande and Praful Tople conducted a raid.
The green-coloured groundnut pieces and artificial edible green colour recovered from the shop were sent to a laboratory for testing. The misleading label of ‘Pista sonpapdi’ was found on the product, the team said adding that further action will be taken under suitable sections on receipt of analytical report.
The raid was conducted under the guidance of joint commissioner (Food) Shashikant Kekre who has urged people to lodge a complaint regarding food adulteration on 0712- 2562204.
Tests find formalin in fish from other states
PATNA: Presence of carcinogenic chemicals, such as formalin, lead and cadmium in fishes imported from other states has made consumption of fish risky. These chemicals are used for preserving the fishes.
Laboratory test reports of three fish samples mentioned heavy amount of formalin along with lead and cadmium. State health department is now waiting for seven more reports, after which a decision will be taken to prevent ailments due to consumption of such fishes.
“Altogether 10 samples were collected in October and sent to a laboratory in Kolkata. We have got the reports of three samples, which have very high content of formalin, lead and cadmium. We will get seven other reports in a couple of days,” principal health secretary Sanjay Kumar told TOI on Thursday.
Formalin is a preservative applied on the fishes to prevent it from decay and it is highly carcinogenic. According to experts, formalin is also used to preserve bodies in mortuaries. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), heavy metals like lead and cadmium are also carcinogenic and have toxic effects on human being. They damage kidney, skeletal, respiratory system and nervous system.
It is not for the first time in Bihar that deadly formalin has been detected in fishes. State animal and fisheries resource department had in September last collected 85 samples from small fish vendors across the state and conducted formalin test on them at its Mithapur research centre. Samples of 25 fishes showed high content of formalin.
The fresh test was carried out after the department received an instruction from the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi. The instruction was issued following detection of high level of formalin in fish samples in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Goa and West Bengal in July-August last year.
Even the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had released a guidance note on July 16 last year, alerting people about the deadly effects of formalin, which is used to preserve fish. The alerts were issued after scientists confirmed formalin in fishes in Chennai market.
A fisheries department official in Bihar said most fishes with formalin coating were brought from Andhra Pradesh and their main market in Bihar was Patna. He added that fishes like ‘rehu’, ‘katla’, ‘naini’ and common carp, which are in demand and brought from other states, had formalin in them. He, however, said there was no harm in eating local fish.
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