FSSAI Regulations on labelling of Pre-Packaged Products
The art and science of encasing food goods to protect them throughout storage, distribution, and commercialization is known as packaging. Product packaging design makes your products stand out from the competition in addition to adding visual appeal. Proper packaging is essential in order to maintain quality and provide consumers with safe, nourishing food products.
Requirements for Labelling
The labeling requirements of pre-packaged foods as per Food safety and standards (labeling and display) regulations, 2020 are listed below:
- Name of the product: It should be a common or a usual name describing the true make-up of the product. Trade or brand name or any abstract description is subject to conformance under FSSAI advertising and claim regulation.
- Ingredient content: This should contain a comprehensive list of all ingredients used unless it is a single-ingredient product.
- Nutrition data: All the information on nutrition should be calculated per 100 g or 100 ml or single pack and per serve % in relation to the Recommended Dietary Allowance
- Declaration if it’s Vegetarian or Veg: The non-vegetarian foods label should indicate a brown opaque triangle enclosed in a brown-outlined square box. In the case of vegetarians, the indication would be a green opaque circle enclosed in a green-outlined square box having twice the diameter of the circle.
- Declaration of food additives if added
- Declaration of detailed address of the company and name
- FSSAI license number and Logo should be displayed
Let’s turn our attention to mandatory requirements for labeling pre-packaged foods as in Codex Alimentarius International Standards unless mentioned otherwise:
- Food’s Name
- Ingredient List – If any allergen ingredient is used, it should be specified separately, such as Cereals containing gluten, Milk, and milk products (lactose included).
- Net content and emptied weight – Mentioned in SI units (volume for liquid foods, weight for solid foods, and volume/weight for viscous foods)
- Name and address of all stakeholders involved
- Demographical origin
- Batch identification
- Storage directions and relevant dates
- Instructions for usage
Packaging Regulations
Specific requisites are needed when it comes to primary packaging. Primary packaging is the part of the material that comes in direct contact with the food, such as plastic, metal alloys, glass bottles, etc. When it comes to plastic usage, the polymer should conform to the Indian Standards specifications. All plastic polymers used in food contact should not exceed an overall limit of migration of 60 mg/kg or 10 mg/dm2 while tested per IS 9845 and should have no visible migration of color.
Elements in the plastic polymers should not release compounds that exceed the specific migration limits (mg/kg) mentioned below:
Elements | Migration limits (mg/kg) |
Barium | 1 |
| Cobalt | 0.05 |
| Copper | 5 |
| Iron | 48 |
| Lithium | 0.6 |
| Manganese | 0.6 |
| Zinc | 25 |
| Antimony | 0 |
Phthalic acid, bis (2-ethylhexyl) ester (DEHP) | 1.5 |
Colorants or pigments used in plastics that could come in contact with food and water need to satisfy IS:9833 standards.
Conclusion:
Food packaging and labeling requirements are essential for consumers to make informed choices and base their decisions on scientific facts about the product’s fitness for use. They also assure consumers about the safety and authenticity of the product. It is mandatory for all food businesses operating out of India to abide by the rules and regulations mentioned under the act.
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