Best Before Date' on open sweets mandatory from Oct1, FSSAI

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has made it mandatory from October 1 to write 'Best before date' on sweets plates in shops for the open sale of sweets.

However, there will be no restriction on the date for making sweets.

The FSSAI has stated in the order that it would be optional to write the date of making.

Federation of Sweets and Namkeen Manufactures (FSNM) director Feroze Naqvi said that this has brought great relief to the confectioners, but will also face difficulties in writing 'Best before date' as it is not practical.

“FSSAI has accepted half of our point that it is no longer mandatory for us to write a manufacturing date. However, the best before date will be effective from October 1. However, we are also in talks on this. We have put our problems in front of the FSSAI,” added Naqvi on a call to IANS.

He mentioned that printing the best before date for sweets is not practical as there is a large range of sweets on which it would be difficult to change the date repeatedly.

He said that the order regarding the open sale of sweets came in February, which was extended twice in the coronavirus period, but now from October 1, it has been made mandatory to write the best before date on sweets packs.

Naqvi also pointed that this order will be applicable for unpacked sweets whereas for food items like packaged sweets, namkeen, it is mandatory to write the period of manufacture and the date till it is best for the consumption.