FSSAI defers compliance of warning on pan masala by six months

The FSSAI has decided to extend the time period for compliance of the provision of warning statement for pan masala specified in the FSS Labelling & Display 2nd

Amendment Regulations, 2022, by six months. This was regarding the regulation which stipulates the warning to cover the 50% area of the packaging of pan masala and the extension shall start from November 1.

The FSSAI order reads, tt has been decided to further defer the enforcement of ‘Note’ i.e., the warning statement must cover 50% of the front-of-pack of the label in Schedule-Il of Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Second Amendment Regulations, 2022, for a period of six months with effect from 1st November, 2023. According to the FSSAI, in this context, representations have been received from association, federation and industry requesting an extension of time-period for compliance of the Note’ amendment so as to utilise/exhaust the packaging material inventory.

It is pertinent to mention that FSSAI issued direction in May this year wherein the enforcement of ‘Note’ (in respect of Pan Masala) i.e., the warning statement must cover 50% of the “front-of-pack of the label in Schedule-Il of Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Second Amendment Regulations, 2022, was deferred for a period of three months from the date of enforcement i.e. 1″ May, 2023. The enforcement of the said provision was again deferred for a period of three months with effect from August 15, 2023.