FSSAI has notified final regulations on Food Safety and Standards (Approval of non-specified food and food ingredients) Regulations, 2017. This regulation lays down the rules and procedure for grant of prior approval of nonspecified food and food ingredients.
After implementation of the Act and the Regulations framed thereunder with effect from 5th August 2011, and the fact that safety assessment and approval for the non-standardised food was a new concept, the FSSAI introduced a product approval system through advisories as a means to undertake safety assessment of the food products and products containing ingredients which do not have standards.
However, in view of the Hon’ble Supreme Court order vide dated 19.08.2015; it was no longer possible to continue the process of product approvals for non-standardized food products/ingredients in the absence of legitimate regulations.
In order to address the situation arising after discontinuation of the product approval system, FSSAI has revised the definition of proprietary foods in Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Ninth Amendment Regulations, 2016. Further, FSSAI also notified the Food safety and Standards (Food or Health supplements, Nutraceuticals, Foods for special dietary uses, Foods for medical purposes, Functional foods and Novel foods) Regulations, 2016 and Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Seventh Amendment Regulations, 2016 relating to Harmonization of Food additives. With these developments, a larger number of products, that would have otherwise required specific approvals from Food Authority, got covered.
However, there are several food products/ingredients which are still not covered in any of the regulations made under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. In order to regulate such products including novel food and provide the opportunity to Food Business Operators to innovate food products, FSSAI came up with this regulation. The regulation covers the following articles of food or food ingredients:
- Novel food or novel food Ingredients or processed with the use of novel technology
- New additives
- New processing aids including enzymes
- Articles of food and food ingredients consisting of or isolated from microorganisms, bacteria, yeast, fungi or algae.
These regulations have been finalised after consideration of the comments received from the stakeholders in this respect and shall immediately come in to force on the date of notification in the Official gazette of India.
