UPSC Prelims 2016 Question:

With reference to prepackaged items in India, it is mandatory to the manufacturer to put which of the following information on the main label, as per the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011?

1. List of ingredients including additives 
2. Nutrition information 
3. Recommendation, if any, made by the medical profession about the possibility of any allergic reactions 
4. Vegetarian/non vegetarian
   
   

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Explanation:

• As per the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, every package of food shall carry the following information on the label, namely:
  • The Name of Food
  • List of Ingredients. So, point 1 is correct.
  • Nutritional information. So, point 2 is correct.
  • Declaration regarding Veg or Non veg. So, point 4 is correct.
  • Declaration regarding Food Additives
  • Name and complete address of the manufacturer
  • Net quantity
  • Lot/Code/Batch identification
  • Date of manufacture or packing
  • Best Before and Use By Date
  • Country of origin for imported food
  • Instructions for use
    
    
• Information regarding any allergic reactions is not compulsory on food packets. So, point 3 is not correct.
  
  

Therefore, option (3) is the correct answer.

Relevance: In 2015,  the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) asked Nestle to recall Maggi noodles in presence of  Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and lead in Maggi samples.

Subject: Science & Technology | Health and Diseases