Brain Booster for UPSC & State PCS Examination (Topic: Sweet Sellers and FSSAI)

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Sweet Sellers and FSSAI

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed mithai shops and traditional Indian sweet outlets to mandatorily display the “Best Before Date” on the container or tray of non-packaged or loose sweets from October 1.
This is being done to ensure food safety and also for consumers to have requisite information regarding the shelf life of traditional Indian sweets.

The FSSAI had stated that mithai shops will have to mandatorily mention the date of manufacture on the labels. “Further, in public interest and to ensure food safety, it has been directed that in case of non-packaged/loose sweets the container or tray holding sweets at the outlet should display the “date of manufacturing" and “best before date" of the said products," the order said.
The FSSAI has also ordered to mention the date of making the sweets on its labelling while selling them. But, the order is not mandatory leaving it at the discretion of the shopkeepers divulge the aforementioned piece of information about the date of manufacture.
Almost all packaged food products now carry such a date informing the consumers if it’s alright to purchase the items.
The order comes weeks before Dussehra and Diwali festivities when demand for the sweetmeat rises sharply.

While the date would have to be determined by keeping the nature of the product and local conditions in mind.
According to a guidance note prepared by the FSSAI on traditional milk products the Bengali sweets and those made out of milk should be consumed within two days.
Laddoo and khoya sweets can be consumed within four days of making. The sweets made of ghee and dry fruits have a shelf life of a week.
The food regulator has also asked the manufacturers of edible oils not to blend any other vegetable oil with mustard oil to keep its purity intact.
While earlier an admixture of two vegetable oils in which one component has to be a minimum of 20% by weight was allowed, the government decided to prohibit such blending in the case of mustard oil for domestic consumption in the public interest.

FSSAI has directed all FBOs dealing with sweets to comply with its order.
It has also directed State food safety commissioners to ensure sweet shops comply with this directive.
In February, FSSAI had said it had received complaints regarding sale of stale or expired sweets which poses potential health hazard.
The food safety authority had earlier set June 1 as the effective date.
However, due to the pandemic, the date of implementation of this norm was extended.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
The FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which is a consolidating statute related to food safety and regulation in India.
FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
The FSSAI has its headquarters at New Delhi. The authority also has 6 regional offices located in Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, and Chennai.