The apex food regulator FSSAI is about to finalize the draft norms on Ayurveda Aahar and plan to underpin provisions for granting perpetual licenses to FBOs. The said confirmation is made by the FSSAI’s CEO, Arun Singhal in a conference conducted by CII. He later added that the Draft Food Safety and Standards (Ayurveda Aahar) Regulations, 2021, has already been notified.
Release Date of Said Regulations and other confirmations made by the FSSAI’s CEO
- CEO further confirmed that the said regulations should come to effect within two or three months. The regulation will help the food industry to leverage the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda.
- No individual can manufacture, pack, trade, market, or distribute or ship Ayurveda aahar unless the product ensures adherence to the guidelines cited under these regulations, as per the draft notifications.
- Singhal added that the authority has decided to minimize the no of vertical standards & and decided to adopt horizontal standards to ensure better and transparent regulations. He further stated that are around 750 vertical standards in the status quo.
- CEO is assured that the advent of standards for the use of recycled plastics for food items shall reduce the plastic load of the food sector in the nation. Singhal also applauded the FBOs for staying functional during the COVID era in order to feed the country.
He said that the pandemic came as a lesson for all citizens who give the least importance to food hygiene and safety. The unprecedented effect of the pandemic has compelled FSSAI and FBOs to take strict measures in relation to food safety and standards. The entire food supply chain has been revamped with the incorporation of additional measures.
Apart from the above, the CEO has made the following confirmations:
Given the escalating demand from the food sector, the food authority has harmonized prevailing labeling norms and decided to implement the same in July 2022.
The food industry must achieve the target of fortifying all rice supplied via PDS, i.e., public distribution system, mid-day schemes & other welfare schemes, by 2024.
Food authority will soon come up with a system for granting perpetual licenses. The scheme will allow FBOs to avoid the trouble of recurring renewal requirements.
On July 13, 2021, India shared to the WTO its new draft Ayurveda Aahar Regulations (2021). The timeline to provide feedback on the draft regulation runs through Sep 10, 2021. Ayurveda Aahar refers to a food article prepared in pursuant to ingredients or recipes and/or processes as per methods mentioned in Ayurveda’s authoritative books under Schedule A’ of the regulations.
It also entails products that possess other botanical ingredients in pursuant to the notion of Ayurvedic Aahar but does not include proprietary Ayurvedic medicines and cosmetics, narcotic substances, herbs covered under Schedule E of Drug and Cosmetic Act, 1940[1] & Rules 1945 thereunder, metals based ayurvedic medicine or drugs, pisthi or bhasma any other ingredients notified by the food authority from time to time.
Conclusion
The demand for healthier food items has been skyrocketed after the Covid era. Nowadays, people opt for healthier food articles, especially ayurvedic foods, for strong immunity. This ever-rising demand has compelled food authorities to tighten up the supply chain for the same by drafting new regulations.
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