New Delhi, May 15 () Food regulator FSSAI will finalise the labelling standards on packaged food products in the next 2-3 months and is open to make changes in the draft rules to address the industry's concern, its CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said today.
Last month, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had issued a draft of Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018 and sought comments from stakeholders.
The regulator has proposed making it mandatory to display red colour-coding on front of the pack of food products that have high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt content levels.
"We are getting stakeholders' comment on the draft regulations. The final regulations is expected in the next 2-3 months," Agarwal told reporters here when asked about the proposed labelling standards.
He said the FSSAI is studying the model used in foreign countries like Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the US, for colour coding display on the packaged food item. "We are aware of the industry's concern related to colour coding."
Asked about the proposal on genetically modified (GM) food, Agarwal said the labelling on packaged food items with 5 per cent or more GE ingredients will "bring clarity".
All food products having total Genetically Engineered (GE) ingredients 5 per cent or more shall be labelled, the draft said.
"Imported GM food is coming to India. It is in form of soya products and edible oils. In case of oils, traces of GM is negligible. So, there will be no labelling," he added.
Agarwal also announced that the FSSAI is targeting to make the country free from trans-fat by 2022.
Meanwhile, FSSAI today launched an initiative to promote safe and nutritious food (SNF) at workplace to deal with the alarming increase in obesity and NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) like diabetes and hypertension.
"SNF@Workplace is a nation-wide campaign to help people eat safe and eat right while at work. Since the majority of our workforce consumes at least one meal during working hours, behavioural change at the workplace is critical," Agarwal said.
The FSSAI had earlier similar initiatives for school and home.
The resource book for this initiative 'The Orange Book: Your Guide to Safe and Nutritious Food at the Workplace' was launched that highlights the role to be played by key stakeholders such as the administration, canteen establishment and the employees in ensuring safe and nutritious food at the workplace.To create a self-propelling and sustainable ecosystem, a systematic framework of FSSAI-trained resource persons, health & wellness coordinators and food safety supervisors for every workplace has been enabled.
No comments:
Post a Comment