The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has extended the date for complying with directions regarding display of ‘Date of Manufacturing’ and ‘Best Before Date’ for sweets sold loose.

An FSSAI order says that due to the Covid-19 pandemic , the date for complying with the order is extended to August 1, 2020. Previously, the date for complying with the direction was set for June1, 2020.

The order states, “In view of disruption and lockdown due to Covid pandemic in the country, it has been decided to extend the date of enforcement for display of ‘Date of Manufacturing’ and ‘Best Before Date’ of non-packaged/loose sweets on their container/tray at the outlet for sale from 1st June 2020 to 1st August 2020”.

The FSSAI observes, “In the interest of general public health and to ensure food safety was decided that in case of non-packaged or loosely sold sweets, the container or tray holding sweets at the outlet for sale should display ‘Date of Manufacturing’ and ‘Best Before Date’ of the product.”

This was done after the Authority received complaint about stale sweets sold to customers in many parts of the country.

The Authority has maintained that while in case of pre-packaged sweets, the ‘Date of Manufacturing’ and ‘Best Before Date’ of the products must be mentioned on their labels as per the FSS Packaging and Labelling-Regulations, there was no such provision for products such as sweets sold loose. Therefore to ensure food safety of loosely sold sweets, it was decided that non-packaged sweets should also carry Date of Manufacturing and Best Before Date on the container.