Lucknow: The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has clarified its recently issued guidelines on the shelf life and labelling of sweets and confectionery products, stating that no fixed or uniform shelf life is being made mandatory for all sweets.
Under the clarified guidelines, food business operators will determine the ‘use by’ period of their products based on their nature, ingredients, manufacturing process and storage conditions. The declared period must be clearly communicated to consumers so they know how long a product is considered safe for consumption and is expected to meet prescribed quality standards.
The department said different sweets have varying characteristics and are prepared and stored under different conditions, making a uniform shelf life impractical. Food businesses will therefore have the responsibility of assessing their products and determining an appropriate use-by period.
However, the freedom to determine the period will also carry clear responsibility. The department has emphasised that the declared ‘use by’ date will not merely be an informational formality. If a business declares a five-day use-by period for a particular sweet, it will have to ensure that the product continues to meet applicable quality and food safety requirements throughout those five days.
The department stressed that consumers have the right to receive clear information about the freshness and period of safe use of sweets and other food products before making a purchase. Clear declaration of the ‘use by’ period will help consumers make informed decisions regarding the quality and safety of food items.
The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department will also undertake awareness efforts among food businesses and consumers to promote clarity regarding the declaration and observance of use-by periods.
