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FSSAI makes BIS certification must for infant food trade
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Wednesday, 29 September, 2021, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to
make ‘BIS certification’ mandatory for food businesses involved in ‘infant food trade’.
The food regulator has decided to amend the prohibition and restriction on
sales regulations and issued a draft called Food Safety and Standards
(Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Amendment Regulations, 2021 that seeks mandatory ‘BIS certification’ for such trade.
The amendment reads, “No person shall manufacture, sell, store or exhibit
for sale food for infant nutrition, except under Bureau of Indian Standards
(BIS) Certification Mark, wherever BIS standards available”.
The FSSAI has also sought comments from the stakeholders on this amendment.
Meanwhile, on request from food businesses, the time for compliance with the provisions of the Food for Infant Nutrition Regulations notified in December 2020, has been extended until April 1, 2022, against July 1, 2021, under the notified regulations.
The reason was said to be the representations received by the apex food
regulator from the stakeholders seeking extension for the compliance.
The stakeholders requested FSSAI that since the entire portfolio requires
reformulations including stability studies, which is a mammoth and time
consuming activity, therefore they require time to comply with all the
provisions of the new regulations.
These regulations prescribe the compositions of infant formula to be given to the infants during the first six months, infant food to be given to
infants after six months of age upto to 24 months of age and Food for
special medical purpose intended for infants.
The regulation also prescribes conformity requirements with respect to
various parameters like moisture, total protein, fat, carbohydrates,
minerals and vitamins along with optional ingredients which are ordinarily found in human milk.
Besides, the regulation also prescribes food additives, emulsifiers,
acidity regulators, that can be used in the preparation of the infant
formula and specifies the labelling requirements for such food products.
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