Having expedited work on the draft process, which began last December, FSSAI said it will now issue separate regulations for each area.
“We are reviving the existing Food Safety Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, and decided that the same would be divided into three parts,” said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, its chief executive.
A single regulation has governed packaging and labelling, based on rules laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards, while virtually no regulations have governed claims and advertising.
“Since all three aspects are important, there will be separate regulations for these subjects. On labelling, the work has been completed. But on the packaging front, regulations are weak, and consultations are underway,” Agarwal added.
The chief executive has also announced plans to empower third-party auditors to inspect food manufacturing facilities.