Food Regulatory Body, FSSAI, Enacts New Rules: Prohibition of Certain Food Label Claims and Amplified Inspection Efforts
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced significant updates to its food safety regulations in 2025, aiming to improve transparency and consumer protection while ensuring stricter compliance for food businesses.
1. **Stricter Inspections for High-Risk Food Establishments**
FSSAI has intensified inspections for high-risk food businesses, including large-scale food processing units, street vendors, and restaurants, particularly in states with existing food safety concerns. These inspections involve more frequent audits and unannounced checks, enforcing strict hygiene and safety standards. Non-compliance can lead to penalties, temporary closure, or revocation of operating permits, thereby improving consumer safety by reducing foodborne health risks.
2. **Enhanced Food Safety Norms for E-commerce Platforms**
Recognising the rapid growth of online food sales, FSSAI has convened a meeting with over 70 representatives from leading e-commerce and food delivery platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, and Flipkart. Key directives include the mandatory display of FSSAI License/Registration numbers on all consumer documents such as receipts and invoices, the incorporation of information about the Food Safety Connect App on consumer-facing materials, and the requirement for training all food handlers across the supply chain to maintain hygiene standards. The entire e-commerce food supply chain is held collectively responsible for food safety compliance, ensuring safer delivery and sale of food products to consumers online.
3. **Consumer and Business Impact**
Consumers benefit from enhanced protection due to rigorous safety audits and improved transparency, such as easy access to license information and the Food Safety Connect App, thereby enhancing trust in food quality. For food businesses, especially in high-risk sectors and e-commerce, these changes entail stricter compliance requirements, significant oversight, and potential penalties for lapses. Businesses must keep updated with these regulations to maintain licenses and consumer confidence.
Together, these updates demonstrate FSSAI’s proactive approach to adapting food safety norms to modern market realities, ensuring safer food handling, processing, and delivery across both traditional and digital platforms in India.
- For consumers, better-quality products, clearer labels, and fewer fake health promises can be expected. - Companies must now provide scientific validation for any health-related claims made on packaging. - The inspections will cover cities in India. - FSSAI has banned over 100 misleading or exaggerated health claims on food labels. - FSSAI is tightening its licensing process for businesses involved in infant food and baby formulas, meat, seafood, and dairy products, health supplements, and nutraceuticals.
These updates aim to promote transparency and help consumers make informed choices about the food they consume, thereby contributing to a healthier nation.
- To further support consumer awareness and health, FSSAI is mandating that companies provide scientific validation for any health-related claims made on their food packaging.
- In line with the stringent new food safety regulations, FSSAI is specifically focusing inspections on cities across India, aiming to ensure compliance with hygiene and safety standards.
- In an attempt to combat dishonest marketing practices and promote accurate labeling, FSSAI has banned over 100 misleading or exaggerated health claims on food labels, ensuring that consumers make informed choices regarding their food choices.
