Food businesses in Uttar Pradesh will no longer be able to make older food products appear fresh by repacking them. The Food Safety and Drug Administration department has directed that packaged food products must carry the actual date of manufacture or processing, rather than a later date of repacking.
According to an FDSA press release, the decision follows special inspections of food manufacturing units, during which food safety officials found instances of products being stored for long periods after manufacture before being repacked into smaller consumer packs. In some cases, the packing date was being mentioned on the label instead of the actual date of manufacture.
The department has now clarified that for food products packed in Uttar Pradesh, the manufacturing date on the label must reflect the actual date of manufacture or processing. The directive aims to prevent consumers from being misled about a product’s age, freshness or remaining shelf life.
Food safety officials said the distinction between the manufacturing and packing dates is important as a product’s shelf life is calculated from the actual date of its manufacture or processing, not the date on which it is subsequently packed.
During inspections, officials also found instances where repackers and relabellers were using the packing date as the primary date on product labels. Under the new directions, food businesses must ensure that the actual date of manufacture or processing remains clearly identifiable even if a product is subsequently repacked.
{{/usCountry}}During inspections, officials also found instances where repackers and relabellers were using the packing date as the primary date on product labels. Under the new directions, food businesses must ensure that the actual date of manufacture or processing remains clearly identifiable even if a product is subsequently repacked.
{{/usCountry}}The department has also linked the measure to the possibility of older food products being used as ingredients in other products.
Replacing the original manufacturing date with a later packing date could make it difficult for consumers, or even downstream food businesses, to determine how long an ingredient has actually been in storage.
The measure has been introduced with reference to the consumer-interest, public-health and food-safety objectives under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The move is expected to give consumers a clearer picture of a food product’s actual age. The manufacturing date, along with its declared shelf life or best-before/use-by date, will help them assess how long the product has been available and how much shelf life remains.
Commissioner FSDA Roshan Jacob said the measure would also strengthen accountability among food businesses and improve traceability from manufacturing to retail.