Government has issued a draft notification published in Part II, Section 3, sub-section (i) of the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated 25th November, 2005 to amend certain provisions of Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules 1955 vide Notification dated November 28, 2005.
The Labelling requirements for packaged food are being amended to align with the Codex Standards which are the International Standards. The proposed amendment includes that the quantity of each ingredient used in the product should be declared and complete nutritional information per 100 gram or 100 ml of the product may be provided on the labels of all food products. In case of proprietary food products the detailed label declaration about the ingredients including the nutritional information is being made mandatory. This will enable sensitive consumer groups, which may include allergic people, diabetic, children etc., to take their own decision for consumption of such food products.
The detailed amendments are as follows:-
1. Definitions for some terms viz. claim, consumer, contaminants, date of manufacture, date of packing , best before, expiry date, food additives, food for special dietary uses, ingredients, label, labelling, lot number/ batch number, pre-packaged, principal display panel and processing aid are being prescribed as per the Codex definitions.
2. The labelling provisions of packaged food articles are being amended. As per the draft rules, the label of every package of food shall carry the following additional information, in addition to what has been prescribed under PFA Rules, 1955.
a. The percentage of any ingredients, which is emphasized or is essential to charterize the food or is emphasised in the name of the food or for which claim has been made. b. The complete nutrition information per 100gm of the product. c. In case of imported foods, the name of country of origin.3. The guidelines for manufacture of proprietary food have been proposed to be revised.
4. Tobacco, alcoholic beverages and nicotine has been proposed to be prohibited to be used as ingredient in the propriety food.
5. The declaration with respect to net content, lot number or batch number, date of manufacture or packing, irradiated foods, country of origin, instruction for use have been proposed to be harmonized with the requirements prescribed by Codex Alimentarius Commission.
6. The food products which does not contain prescribed amount of fruit juice/fruit pulp/ fruit content has been proposed to be described as “non-fruit product” and if any product contains only fruit flavour such product shall not be described as a fruit products and the word “fruit” shall neither be used nor the picture of fruit shall be declared depicted on the label of such products.
A time period of sixty days has been given for sending comments on the draft notification. The objections/suggestions may be sent to Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi-110001.
The notification is available on website of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at “http://www.mohfw.nic.in/pfa.htm.
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