Overview of Clause 5(10) of Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Regulation 2020:
The regulation outlines comprehensive requirements for food labelling to promote transparency, informed consumer choice, and safety. Among these, Clause 5(10) specifically governs the labelling of date-related information on pre-packaged food products. This provision aims to communicate essential details regarding the shelf life and safe consumption period of food products.
1. It is mandatory that all pre-packaged foods must carry the following date-related declarations on their labels:
2. To ensure clarity, the date of manufacture or packaging and expiry/use by date must be grouped together and printed at one location on the label.
3. Additionally, the expression “Best before” may be voluntarily included to provide further guidance to consumers. These labels play a critical role in preventing the consumption of stale or unsafe food and supporting traceability throughout the supply chain.
4. And when the validity of a product depends on storage conditions, such as refrigeration or protection from light, such instructions must also be clearly stated. If necessary, guidelines for post-opening storage should be included to help consumers maintain the product’s quality and safety after opening.
5. Specific formats for date declarations based on the product’s shelf life:
6. Exemptions:
Certain categories of food products are exempt from declaring an expiry or use-by date. These include:
These exemptions reflect the inherent stability or low perishability of such products.
7. Special requirement for catered meals:
For packed meals served in airlines, railways, or mobile catering units, both the date and time of manufacture must be clearly declared to ensure freshness and traceability in high-turnover environments.
Penalty for non-compliance:
Any person who whether by himself or by any other person on his behalf manufactures for sale or stores or sells or distributes or imports any article of food for human consumption which is mis-branded, shall be liable to a penalty which may extend to three lakh rupee
Disclaimer: The information contained in this Article is intended solely for personal non-commercial use of the user who accepts full responsibility of its use. The information in the article is general in nature and should not be considered to be legal, tax, accounting, consulting or any other professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied regarding the accuracy, adequacy, reliability or completeness of any information on our page/article.