According to Clause 10, every packaged food meant for non-retail sale must carry mandatory information either directly on the container or on a securely affixed label. These requirements are crucial for maintaining traceability, compliance, and food safety standards across the food supply chain, particularly in institutional, industrial, and bulk supply settings.
The Key Details Include:
These elements ensure that even when food is not intended for consumer purchase in a retail environment, it remains accountable and traceable throughout distribution and handling.
Supplementary Information in Accompanying Documents: Some additional information, while not mandatory on the package label itself, must be made available through accompanying documents. This includes:
This flexibility acknowledges the practical constraints of bulk packaging, while still ensuring that critical food composition and dietary information is accessible for B2B buyers, handlers, or food service operators.
Use of Barcodes andd GTIN for Regulatory Compliance
To streamline identification and tracking, the regulation allows certain information to be included via Barcode or Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN), in lieu of physical labelling. These include:
This digital flexibility is particularly valuable in modern supply chains where barcoding facilitates automation, inventory management, and digital compliance checks.
Mandatory “Not for Retail Sale” Declaration
A critical requirement under Clause 10 is that every non-retail food package must prominently display the statement:
“NOT FOR RETAIL SALE”
This declaration serves as a clear compliance and consumer protection mechanism, preventing such packages from being misused or misrepresented in the retail market.
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 rupees.
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