FSSAI Launches Vegan Food Regulations
- Lifestyle Food
Swati Merchant- 0
- 3 minutes read
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently launched a set of first-of-its-kind vegan food regulations. The move was to regulate vegan food products in India. This is one of the first actions to monitor this category of food items as the idea of ‘veganism’ itself was alien to the country a couple of years back.
These rules define what vegan food items should constitute and how they should be labelled. One such regulation states that all production activities and environments must be devoid of any animal products. However, if they cannot be omitted c completely then there should be stringent practices to ensure that vegan food products are not contaminated.
In addition, animal testing is completely prohibited until and unless the company obtains permission from FSSAI. These vegan food regulations are expected to be strictly adhered to as any violation might lead to serious consequences. This is due to the fact that more people are adopting veganism in India currently.
For brand logos, FSSAI regulations prefer the usage of plant-inspired logos. Further, companies are not allowed to use any packaging material that is derived from animal products. In addition, vegan products that are imported from outside the boundaries of India are also bound to stick to these labelling and packaging rules.
India is moving ahead with a further share in the vegan market. The New Food Magazine mentions that Kerry, a taste and nutrition company, recognises the country as a market for driving growth for the vegan or plant-based food sector. The Marketing Director of Kerry Southwest Asia, Gunjan Pandey, commented on this and said:
“The opportunity and potential for plant protein foods in India are promising. Currently, the region’s alternative meat market is valued at $171 million. And it is expected to grow at 8.5 per cent CAGR by 2025. The past five years have also seen consistent new launches with the number of meat substitute launches rising year-on-year.”
Therefore, the act of introducing vegan food regulations in India can surely be justified. This set of rules might be amended in the future as per industry needs.
