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Fruit Juice
Context:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a directive mandating all Food Business Operators (FBOs) to remove any claim of ‘100% fruit juice’ from the labels and advertisements of reconstituted fruit juices with immediate effect.
More on News:
- All the FBOs have also been instructed to exhaust all existing pre-printed packaging materials before September 1.
- On examination, FSSAI has concluded that according to the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, there is no provision for making a ‘100%’ claim.
- Such claims are misleading,
- The fruit juice is reconstituted with water and fruit pulp or concentrates, or when the main ingredient for which the claim is made is present in only small amounts and the fruit juice’s main element is water.
FSSAI Guidelines:
- FBOs are instructed to adhere to standards for fruit juices under sub-regulation 2.3.6 of Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) Regulation, 2011.
- Labelling must comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
- Ingredient list to include “reconstituted” against the name of the juice that is reconstituted from the concentrate.
- ‘Sweetened juice’ labelling is required if added nutritive sweeteners exceed 15 gm/kg.
- FSSAI emphasises its commitment to safeguarding public health by regulating food safety standards nationwide.
- FSSAI also urges fruit traders and food businesses to refrain from using the banned product ‘calcium carbide’ for fruit ripening.
About FSSAI:
- FSSAI has been established in 2008, under Food Safety and Standards, 2006
- which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food-related issues in various Ministries and Departments.
- The body has been created for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import.
- To ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
- It comes under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
- The Chairperson is in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.