The FSSAI has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016 in the Official Gazette on 23 December 2016. These regulations will come into force on their publication in the Gazette of India. However, the FSSAI has stipulated that Food Business Operators (FBOs) will need to comply with these regulations from 1 January 2018. In order to know the pulse of the market, NuFFooDS Spectrum’s Nitin Konde spoke with experts and FBOs to get to know their take on this move.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently drafted a notification to standardize the Food Safety and Standards for Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food Regulations. By churning out these regulations, FSSAI is all set raise the quality and hygiene bar in India’s food business. Currently, food sector of the country is going through a revamp phase where the regulators are tightening every loose bolt of this business. Right from the labeling of food to curbing down the supply of spurious food, India is transforming this sector by raising its quality level.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, (FSS Act) under which an embargo had been placed under Section 22 of the FSS Act stating that no person shall manufacture, distribute, sell or import any novel food, genetically modified articles of food, irradiated food, organic foods, foods for special dietary uses, functional foods, neutraceuticals, health supplements, proprietary foods and such other articles of food which the Central Government may notify, except in accordance with FSS Act or rules made there under. Prior to the FSS Act, a manufacturer had to comply with the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (PFAA) and Rules framed there under.
According to Drug Marketing and Manufacturing Association (DMMA), Nutraceuticals are a rising branch in the pharmaceuticals industry and is estimated to clock a compounded annual growth rate of about 16 per cent in the next five years at present it is $ 2.2 billion.
To read the complete story, please subscribe to NuFFooDSSpectrum- http://www.nuffoodsspectrum.in/nuffoods_forms/subscription_reg_mgz.php