The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has addressed concerns regarding the declaration of the brand owner’s address on food labels. The regulatory body has explicitly advised its officials not to take any punitive measures if Food Business Operators (FBOs) comply with the fundamental requirements under the FSS Act. This includes the provision of address information through a ‘Barcode or Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN).’
Under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, the disclosure of the brand owner’s address on pre-packaged food products is mandatory. However, a specific clause (8(5)) in the regulation exempts FBOs from these labelling requirements if the information is already provided in a ‘Barcode/Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN).’
Rakesh Kumar, Director of Regulatory Compliance at FSSAI, clarified, “The regulation specifies that the declaration of the address of the brand owner may be provided by the FBO either through text or a barcode or GTIN on the label. If the same has already been provided through a barcode or GTIN, the same need not be declared again through text, and vice versa.”
The FSSAI’s directive emphasizes the importance of diligently adhering to regulatory provisions when scrutinizing the labelling declarations of FBOs. Moreover, it highlights that unnecessary actions, including the issuance of notices, should be strictly avoided for FBOs that comply with prescribed norms, whether through written text a barcode or GTIN.
This move by the FSSAI aims to streamline regulatory processes and ensure that FBOs adhering to guidelines face no unwarranted actions, promoting a smoother compliance environment in the food industry.