FSSAI Proposed Vegan Food Product Regulation

FSSAI Proposes Vegan Food Product Regulation

The FSSAI has proposed that the Draft Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2021, be implemented. In that regard, the Authority has published in the Official Gazette a set of Draft Regulations that are available to objections and recommendations from those who are likely to be impacted by them.

It is also stated that the aforementioned Regulations will be considered after a time of 60 days has passed after copies of the Official Gazette in which this notification was published were made accessible to the general public.

FSSAI DRAFT

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) proposes to make the following draught of Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2021, with the prior approval of the Central Government in the exercise of powers conferred by clause (v) of sub-section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, (34 of 2006), as required by the said sub-section (1) of section 92 for informing the person likely to be affected thereby & notified that the said draft shall be considered after expiry of 60 days from the date on which official gazette was made available to the public.

If you have any objections or recommendations, please contact the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FDA Bhavan, Kotla Road, New Delhi–110002 or email regulation@fssai.gov.in.

Before the expiration of the time period stated above, any complaints or recommendations received from any person with respect to such draught rules will be examined by the Food Authority.

1. Short Title and Commencement

This regulation will be called as The food safety and standard (vegan Foods) regulation 2021.

2. Definition

Vegan Foods: Vegan food refers to foods and food ingredients that do not contain any animal-derived ingredients, additives, or processing aids, such as milk and milk products, fish, poultry, and meat, egg or egg products, honey or honey bee products, insect-derived materials such as silk, dyes, chitin/chitosan, or ingredients that are clarified using animal-derived products, such as bone char used in frying.

3. Requirements:

(1) No food may be manufactured, packed, sold, offered for sale, marketed, or otherwise distributed or imported as vegan food unless it meets the standards set out in these rules.

(2) To be labelled as VEGAN, food goods or components must not have undergone animal testing to determine their safety, and they must not include any animal-derived GMOs or products made utilising animal-derived genes for producing the ingredients or products.

(3) All vegan foods and ingredients must adhere to the relevant provisions of the Act, Rules, and Regulations.

(4) Traceability shall be established up to the manufacturer level, as well as any additional criteria imposed by the Food Authority from time to time in order to protect the vegan integrity of foods, food components, or products thereof.

4. Vegan Food Compliance

(1) The Food Business Operator must submit an application to the Authority with the relevant plant/machinery/premises data. The concerned Food Safety Officer or Designated Officer is responsible for inspecting and verifying the premises.

(2) The use of analytical methods (molecular/chemical/combination of both) available to determine the lack of animal origin for endorsement of the vegan emblem in the licence should also be used to verify the final product for compliance.

(3) The Food Authority may establish standards for the vegan logo's endorsement and yearly market surveillance of such goods. At least once a year, the appropriate registration or licencing body must conduct surveillance of the registered establishment.

5. Requirements for labelling and display-

(1) In addition to the labelling requirements mentioned above, all vegan goods must comply with the packaging and labelling standards established in the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.

(2) Vegan food must be stored and displayed in a way that distinguishes it from non-vegan food, whether sold separately or as part of a retail package.

(3) Following the endorsement described in section 4 of these regulations, every box of vegan goods must have the following logo:

Draft Regulation