On Monday, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) instructed all food business operators (FBOs) to immediately remove any mention of ‘100% fruit juices’ from the labels and advertisements of reconstituted fruit juices.
A release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that all FBOs have been directed to use all current pre-printed packaging materials by September 1, 2024.
The FSSAI has observed that many food business operators falsely advertise reconstituted fruit juices as 100%.
The release stated that after a thorough analysis, FSSAI has determined that the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018 do not include any provision for claiming ‘100%’.
These statements are misleading, especially when the main component of the fruit juice is water and the key ingredient, for which the claim is being made, is only present in small amounts, or when the fruit juice is made by mixing water with fruit concentrates or pulp, the statement continued.
In the clarification provided regarding the marketing and sale of reconstituted fruit juices as ‘100% fruit juices’, it is important for FBOs to adhere to the standards for fruit juices outlined in sub-regulation 2.3.6 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) Regulation, 2011.
According to this regulation, products falling under this standard must be labeled under the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
Specifically, the ingredient list must include the word “reconstituted” next to the name of the juice reconstituted from the concentrate. Furthermore, if the added nutritive sweeteners exceed 15 gm/kg, the product must be labeled ‘Sweetened juice’.
The primary goal of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is to safeguard and advance public health by overseeing and enforcing food safety standards throughout the nation
Date : Sunday, 23 June 2023 Time : 10 AM to 05 PM
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