Bhopal: Ahead of the festive season, the FSSAI on Thursday issued order making it mandatory for all sweet shops in the city to mention expiration date or 'best before use date’ on all their packaging. The order aims at ensuring sweets and other packed food being sold are safe to consume.
A few sweetshops owners claimed the authorities have done this keeping in mind the festive season ahead, however, for them it was customary to mention the packaging dates and expiry dates on all their eatables.
Gagar Sweet (New Market) said that they have in practice the system of mentioning the expiration and best before use date for long. We have been sincerely following it and would comply with all other guidelines, he added.
Ansul Gupta of Chhapan Bhog (New Market), said, “Following the guidelines we have started displaying expiry date or 'best before date' on all our sweets from today (Thursday). We follow all guidelines of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) as they are in the interest of the customers. We are committed to offer the best quality sweets to our customers.”
With the guidelines coming into force it has become mandatory for all sweet shops to mention 'best before date on their sweet packaging. The shops will not be allowed to sell or put on display any eatable that has passed it expiration date. Consumer may lodge complain at fdampbhopal@gmail.com or make a call on 2660662, in case, they find any irregularity in this connection. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) will keep monitoring the shops for proper implementation of the guidelines.
The FSSAI had also directed to mention the date of making the sweets on its labeling, however it is not mandatory leaving it at the discretion of the shopkeepers to divulge the aforementioned piece of information about the date of manufacture. Earlier, the FSSAI had stated that mithai shops will have to mandatorily mention the date of manufacture on the labels.
Further, in public interest and to ensure food safety, it has been directed that in case of non-packaged/loose sweets the container or tray holding sweets at the outlet should display the “date of manufacturing" and “best before date" of the said products.
