India Removes Some Restrictions on Sale of Food Products, Involving Foods for Infant Nutrition

On October 22, 2024, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) First Amendment Regulations, 2024. This amendment, effective immediately, primarily relaxes some restrictions on the sale of food products, particularly edible oils, dairy products, and packaged water. By relaxing restrictions, FSSAI aims to promote market accessibility and consumer choice.

Major revisions

Dairy products

• The amendment omits the restriction on selling ghee with a Reichert value below the specified standards for local markets.

• The amendment removes the requirements of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Certification Mark on the sale, storage and exhibition of food for infant nutrition.

• The amendment removes the requirements of the Indian Standards Institution Certification Mark on the sale of condensed milk sweetened, condensed skimmed milk sweetened, milk powder, skimmed milk powder, partly skimmed milk powder and partly skimmed sweetened condensed milk.

Fats and oils

• The amendment allows the sale of “a mixture of two or more edible oils as an edible oil”, if the edible oil follow the requirements specified in clause 24 “Multi-Source Edible Oil“ of sub-regulation 2.2.1 “OILS“ of regulation 2.2 “FATS, OILS AND FAT EMULSIONS”of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. In addition, Multi-Source Edible Oil shall not be sold in a package weighing more than 15 litres.

• The amendment removes the AGMARK certification mark bearing requirements for sealed packages of Multi-Source Edible Oils and fat spreads.

Water

The amendment abolishes the requirement for packaged drinking water and mineral water to bear the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification mark.