FORTIFICATION (+F) - A key initiative of FSSAI

FORTIFICATION (+F) - A Logo for identify essential micronutrients in a food

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has issued the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018 by Notification no.  F. No. 11/ 03/ Reg/ Fortification/2014 on 2nd August, 2018. 

Effective date: 

1^st January, 2019

Applicability:

The Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018 (hereinafter referred to as “the regulation”) shall be applicable on food set out in any regulations, orders, or guidelines issued under the Act except applicable on Nutraceuticals and foods for Special Dietary Uses.

About FSSAI:

The Government of India enforced the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (“Act") with a view to introducing and surveillance laws relating to food. The Act has empowered the Central government for regulating food laws in India and for the smooth implementation of the Act, rules & regulations made there under, Government authorized an authority named as Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ("FSSAI"). FSSAI is responsible for laying down the standards for food.

FSSAI is an autonomous body which regulates manufacture, storage, distribution, packaging, sale and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

Important definition:

Section 2(b)“fortification” means deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health.

Section 2(c) “fortificant” means a substance added to food to provide micronutrients but does not include nutraceuticals or foods for Special Dietary Uses.

Section 2(d) “fortified food” means a food, as specified under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 that has undergone the process of fortification as per the provisions of these regulations.

Section 2(f) “micronutrients” means essential dietary nutrients including vitamins, minerals or trace elements that are required in very small quantities and are vital to development, disease prevention and wellbeing of human beings.

Section 2(h) “staple foods” means articles of food intended for mass consumption on a daily basis and include rice, wheat, wheat flour, Atta, Maida, oil, salt, milk, and such other articles of food as may be designated staple foods under these regulations.

Purpose:

The regulation comes out with an objective to make easy for consumers to identify the fortified products in the market and to available of the fortified food.

Specified products:

• Salt
• Vegetable Oil
• Milk
• Atta
• Maida
• Raw Rice
• Other staple foods as specified by government.

Products specified above, if fortified, shall contain micronutrients as given under Schedule- I of the regulation.

Basis of fortification:

Content of essential micronutrients is the parameter to measure the level of fortification.

Reason to add micronutrients:

1. Preventing or reducing the risk of, or correcting, a demonstrated deficiency of one or more micronutrients in the population or specific population group.
2. Reducing the risk of, or correcting, inadequate nutritional status of one or more micronutrients in  the population or specific population group.
3. Meeting requirements or recommended intake of one or more micronutrients.
4. Maintaining or improving health.
5. Maintaining or improving the nutritional quality of foods.  

Advantages:

Creates & strengthened the image of the product in view of the consumer. Definitely, the consumer would prefer the fortified product even at some additional cost. 

• Today big multi retail company’s (Big Bazaar, Vishal Mega Mart) would prefer the quality product to sell from their outlets. In the upcoming time the awareness about these product will automatically strengthen the financial position of FBOs and will help to reform the health standards in the society. 
  
  

  Compliance:

1. Manufacturer who fortifies any food shall ensure that the level of micronutrient in such fortified food does not fall below the minimum level specified in Schedule- I of the regulation.
2. It shall also ensure that wherever “Iron (As Fe)” is used as a source of nutrient, heme iron shall not be used in any form in any article of food.\
3. Every manufacturer and packer of fortified food shall give an undertaking twice a year on quality assurance and submit evidence of steps taken in this regard to the Food Authority or such other authority which the Food Authority may designate.
4. Undertaking shall include documents & information as mentioned in Annexure “A”.
5. Every package of fortified food shall carry the words “fortified with ………… (Name of the fortificant)” and the logo, specified in Schedule-II of these regulation, on its label.
6. It may also carry a tag line “Sampoorna Poshan Swasth Jeevan” under the logo.
7. The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulations, 2011, shall also apply to the fortified foods.
8. Every package of food, fortified with Iron shall carry a statement “People with Thalassemia may take under medical supervision”.
9. The size of Fortification logo shall be designed and printed on the package as per given guidelines.

Permission for uses of Logo:

The Logo of Fortification shall be use on the package only after obtain an endorsement mentioning License number. For obtaining license FBOs shall undertake an endorsement.

Who can make endorsement:

•  Manufacturer/processor
• Repacker/ Relabeller
• Marketer/ Brand owner

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Annexure “A”

• Certification by a food laboratory notified by the Food Authority that the fortified food is in compliance with the provisions of the Act and regulations and standards specified therein.
• Up-to-date record keeping and continuous inventory of fortificants used in the manufacturing or packing process, including the source of its procurement.
• Appropriate monitoring procedures at different stages of manufacturing or packing process.
• Random testing of fortificants and fortified food.
• Regular audit of technical equipment and processes.
• Such good manufacturing practices, as may be specified by the Food Authority from time to time.
• Provisions for the reference of the purity criteria of micronutrients, generally accepted by pharmacopoeias, namely, Indian Pharmacopoeia, British Pharmacopoeia, Food Chemical Codex, Joint Food and Agriculture Organization or World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives or CODEX Alimentarius may be adopted by food Business operators.

For further information, please contact us at-

Gaurav Gupta
Compliance ERA,
H.No- 15, Street No. 26A,
Narela, Delhi- 110040
+91 9718777332

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