The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) plans to issue guidelines on ready-to-eat food sold in plastic wrap. These guidelines aim to ensure that sellers maintain the quality of food and provide necessary information to customers.
Under the proposed guidelines, shops selling ready-to-eat food will have to provide customers with details such as the product’s expiration date, ingredients, and source. This information is typically found on packaged food items. The guidelines also emphasize that the plastic wrap used for such food should be food-grade.
The FSSAI is also exploring the development of a process to determine the best-before date of ready-to-eat food products. This would assist shopkeepers in ensuring the freshness and safety of the food they sell.
In addition to these guidelines, the FSSAI has taken action against certain food business operators in the country, such as Bournvita, for making health claims that raised concerns. To regulate advertisements and claims made by food business operators, the FSSAI has implemented the Food Safety and Standards (Advertisements and Claims) Regulations, 2018.
These regulations prohibit deceptive claims or advertisements and classify them as punishable offenses under Section 53 of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006. The FSSAI emphasizes that any nutrient function claims or other functional claims made on food products should be supported by current and relevant scientific evidence.
These efforts by the FSSAI aim to enhance food safety, promote transparency, and ensure that customers have access to accurate information when purchasing ready-to-eat food products.