Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has extended its deadline for caffeinated beverages to conform with the set standards to December 31, 2017 and issued a notification. In its official statement, food regulator stated, ““As products manufactured or imported in compliance with the draft regulations are still available in the market, and will continue to be fit for sale for the next year or two, and recalling and removing the currently complaint stock from the market after July 1, 2017 shall impose unnecessary logistical and financial burden on the trade.”
One the officials from FSSAI, revealed, “The decision to extend the time period to December 31, 2017 has been taken in order to avoid unnecessary burden on the manufacturers and trade. Manufacturers are thus informed to clear their remaining stock before imposed deadline.”
“After taking due consideration, the country’s apex food regulator has decided that the stock of caffeinated beverages manufactured domestically or imported in accordance with the requirement specified vide the food authority’s earlier approval before June 30, 2017 shall be exempted from compliance of the above regulations till December 31, 2017,” official added further.
Sagar Kurade, managing director, Suman Projects Consultants, and past president, All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA), said, “Most of the manufactures have already started following the set standards, and those players that are yet to clear their stock can do it by the extended deadline. It will provide a relief to those who are yet to clear their stock.”
“When we say caffeinated beverages, there are a few brands that have come under the high caffeine content category. The current permissible amount of total caffeine is between 145mg per litre and 300mg per litre,” Kurade commented further.