Advocacy win: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India issues order defining Sample size of high priced imported alcoholic beverages
By Shubhi Mishra
On 11 April 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued an order defining the sample size of highly priced, imported alcoholic beverages. The order includes directives to all FSSAI authorised laboratories in India to carry out the analysis using a 100ml quantity. It further states that the Authorised Officers of FSSAI shall ensure that where miniature/representative samples of 100 ml (in ‘two numbers’, or two units) is available, the miniature sample is all that is required for the laboratory analysis. The order, as signed by Dr Amit Sharma, Director Imports, FSSAI, also assures intervention from his office in case of any difficulties faced by industry stakeholders.
The UKIBC, on behalf of the UK food and drink companies and jointly with other neutral stakeholders, liaised with FSSAI on the issue to clarify the uncertainty surrounding the sample quantity, which has resulted in financial costs to importing businesses. The implementation of the order will remove any ambiguity with regards to the sampling quantity for the laboratory analysis, which was leading to additional cost burden for both domestic and international businesses.
This forward-looking approach has resulted in final publication of the orders, which will directly benefit the national and international businesses active in the said category. For more details please see: FSSAI Order Defining Sample Size of High prices Imported Alcoholic Beverages.
The UKIBC warmly welcomes this positive intervention FSSAI and applauds the efforts by the authorities towards creating a favourable environment for businesses to operate in India.
For more technical details related to the subject announcement and others contact Shubhi Mishra, Head Food and Drink shubhi.mishra@ukibc.com.
