June 6, 2020
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), after receiving complaints about the syrups being used for production of honey, it has issued an order demanding clarification from the importers of golden syrup/invert sugar syrup/rice syrup to prove their properties and uses.
The order emphasized and forced the importers to produce and submit necessary documents at scrutiny stage before custom clearance including the complete details of end-users of the imported syrup to maintain the regulatory compliance of the rules and regulations made by the FSSAI.
The order says, “To ensure quality of honey and to contain the misuse of imported golden syrup/invert sugar syrup/rice syrup in production of honey, all the importers/food business operators who are importing these food items in India are directed to also submit necessary documents at scrutiny stage, before clearance, to concerned Authorised Officer regarding details of the manufacturer(s) with end use to whom the aforesaid imported food items will be supplied.”
Appearance:
Golden syrup is a yellowish syrup made from evaporated sugarcane juice, used as a sweetener and in baking. Invert sugar syrup and rice syrup have similar composition and used in various food preparations like bakery.
Due to this similarity of colour and sweet taste, FSSAI said that these syrups are sometimes being used in production of honey as they are cheap in cost, have similar physical properties and are easily available.
The order, meanwhile, directed the Authorized Officers to carry out clearance of these products only after ensuring the necessary documents and fulfilment of other requirements of FSSAI. Also, the officers were asked to submit the details of the cleared imported consignments of these products with the concerned Central Designated Officer to ensure compliance of regulatory requirements under FSS Act.