The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked all e-commerce Food Business Operators (FBOs) to ensure appropriate categorization of food products being sold on their websites.
The FSSAI has clarified that a beverage can be misclassified as a “health drink” or “energy drink” only if it is licensed under the “proprietary food” category. Under the FSSAI’s rules and regulations, proprietary foods are those that are not standardized in food safety and standards regulations.
They include food products that are not standardized in food safety and standards regulations, but they use standardized ingredients. The use of the terms “energy” drinks is permitted only for products licensed under the food category system 14.1. 4.1 and 14.1. 4.2 (carbonated and non-carbonated water-based flavored drinks), standardized under sub-regulation 2.10. 6 (2) of the food product standards and food additives regulations 2011 (caffeinated beverage).
The FSSAI’s statement said, “The corrective action aims to enhance clarity and transparency regarding the nature and functional properties of the products, ensuring that consumers can make well-informed choices without encountering misleading information.”
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