FSSAI warns nutraceutical firms against labeling violations and threatens legal action for non-compliance | Today’s news
Food regulator FSSAI has expressed concern over food companies not following mandatory labeling standards for their nutritional products and health supplements and has warned of action if they fail to comply.
In a post on social media on Monday, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued an advisory on “mandatory compliance with labeling requirements and warning statements for plant and botanical ingredients and their extracts”.
“Several food business operators (FBOs) involved in the manufacture and sale of nutraceuticals, health supplements or foods for special dietary uses or foods for special medical purposes etc. do not comply with the mandatory labeling and warning requirements,” the regulator said.
The Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Foods for Special Dietary Uses, Foods for Special Medical Purposes, Functional Foods and Novel Foods) Regulations 2016 govern the production, sale and distribution of categories of non-conventional foods.
These foods are health supplements, nutraceuticals, foods for special dietary purposes, foods for special medical purposes, foods with added prebiotic and probiotic ingredients, functional foods and novel foods.
“The regulations lay down the compliance norms regarding the permissible limit of inter alia plant and plant ingredients and their extracts either singly or in combination of ingredients,” FSSAI said.
The regulation imposes strict labeling requirements and prohibits any medicinal claims or suggestions for the treatment of diseases.
Under these regulations, FSSAI mandates that warning statements must be conspicuous, legible and clear to prevent misuse, especially by vulnerable sections of the population.
