Food Service Establishments should display calorific value against food items: FSSAI

Wed Jan 13 2021

 

The apex food regulator of the country has notified the regulations for display of information in food service establishments that directs for disclosure of the calorific value against the food items served.

 

FSSAI has said that the Food Business Operator needs to comply with these provisions by January 1, 2022.

 

The regulations say that Food Service Establishments having Central licence or outlets at 10 or more locations shall mention the calorific value (in kcal per serving and serving size) against the food items displayed on the menu cards or boards or booklets.

 

“Additionally, reference information on calorie requirements shall also be displayed clearly and prominently as an average active adult requires 2,000 kcal energy per day, however, calorie needs may vary”, reads the regulation notified by the FSSAI.

 

Further, says the notified regulation that Food Service Establishments shall also mention information relating to food allergens as prescribed under these regulations, depicted by easy to understand symbols and logo for veg or non-veg against the food items displayed on the menu cards or boards.

 

However, these provisions shall not be applicable to Event Caterers and Food Service premises that operate for less than 60 days in a calendar year (consecutively or non-consecutively); self-serve condiments that are free of charge and not listed on the menu; and special-order items or modified meals and menu items as per customer’s request.

 

Besides, the regulations state that the Food Service Establishments shall also provide nutritional information  regarding sugars, added sugar, fat, and dietary fibre  along with  certain mandatory declaration prescribed in the schedule-II of these regulations, if applicable and information relating to organic food or ingredients, if claimed, for the food items sold by them to consumers upon request in the form of booklets or handouts or on their website and deviation of 25 per cent may be tolerated in case of nutritional information declaration.

 

These regulations also apply on the e-commerce businesses, as they are asked to get the information on nutrition and mandatory declaration from respective Food Business Operators and provide on their website wherever applicable.

 

Also, according to these regulations, the nutritional information, ingredients information along with health messages should be displayed where food is served in a manner as may be required and specified by the Food Authority.

 

Source: http://www.fnbnews.com/