FSSAI Suspends License of Food Business Operators for Non-Compliance with Labelling Regulations

The licenses of sixteen Food Business Operators (FBOs) were suspended for non-compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) rules on menu labelling.

The packaging and labelling regulations were mandated by the FSSAI to control the quality of the products being sold in the market and to promote consumer awareness. While sixteen FBOs lost their licenses, more than seventy others were provided with an extension to ensure compliance.

Starting July 1, 2022 (extended from the earlier date of January 1, 2022), the FSSAI mandated that food service establishments with central licenses or outlets in 10 or more locations must mention the calorific value (in kcal per serving and serving size) against the food items on their menu cards.

Further, rule 2.4.6 of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) First Amendment Regulations, 2020, required FBOs to provide information about the nutrition, allergens, component ingredients, etc., in their food products.

The rules also stated that allergens might be depicted using symbols for convenience. In addition, e-commerce FBOs were required to source the information and provide it on their websites wherever applicable.