FSSAI Drafts the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2017
The FSSAI has issued a notice proposing new packaging regulations. In the regulations, the FSSAI has defined the terms related to packaging so that the terms like food grade, multilayer food packaging, overall migration limit, package or container, primary and secondary food packaging and specific migration limit are all clearly understood.
General Requirements
☆Only food grade quality material must be used for packaging, preparation, storing, wrapping, transportation and sale or service of food shall be of food grade quality.
☆The ink used for printing on food packages shall conform to IS: 15495
☆Printed surface of packaging material must not come into direct contact with food products
☆Newspaper or any such material shall not be used for storing and wrapping of food
☆Tin containers once used, shall not be re-used for packaging of food
☆Food products shall be packed in clean, hygienic and tamper proof bottles or containers.
☆In case of multilayer packaging, the layer which comes in contact with food shall meet the requirements of packaging materials
FSSAI
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) is a statutory body governing the food safety of the country. It is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.The Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) have been appointed by government of India and head quartered at New Delhi. FSSAI has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 which consolidates various acts and orders that have hitherto handled food related issues in various ministries and departments.
Laws relating to food before FSSAI 2006:
Various Central acts like,
☆Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
☆Fruit Products Order, 1955
☆Meat Food Products Order, 1973
☆Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947
☆Edible Oil Packing (Regulation) Order, 1988
☆Solvent Extracted Oil, De-Oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967 and
☆Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992
The Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 (FSS) is a bucket for all the older laws, rules and regulations for food safety.
The FSS Act brings all seven older acts into one umbrella.
How it integrates?
It is an Act of the parliament that received the assent of the President of India on 23rd August 2006. The act aims to establish
☆A single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards, regulations and enforcements
☆By moving from multi-level, multidepartmental control to a single line of command
☆Integrated response to strategic issues like novel foods, health foods, nutraceuticals, organic foods, International trade and proprietary foods.
☆Achieve high degree of consumer confidence in quality and safety of food.
☆Create investor friendly regulatory mechanism with emphasis on selfregulations and capacity building.
☆Every food business operator (FBO) needs to get a FSSAI license – from petty shop to high end manufacturers.
