The FSSAI has tightened its vigil in terms of compliance with regulatory norms on labelling of coffee and coffee-chicory mixtures.
The food authority has examined 42 companies that have central licenses for coffee-chicory mixture-based products. But it found only 13 of them were compliant with these norms 29 FBOs were non-compliant with the existing labelling provisions of Coffee-Chicory mixtures.
FSSAI has directed these companies to become compliant with these regulatory provisions.
As per the regulations, every packaged coffee product must declare the percentage content of coffee and chicory separately on its label. Also, coffee content in the coffee-chicory mixture should not be less than 51 per cent by mass and the permissible limit of chicory content in such mixtures is at 49 per cent. In addition, coffee-chicory blended products cannot use the term “pure” coffee.
“In addition to this, FSSAI has also directed the State Food Safety Departments to ensure necessary compliance of regulatory provisions related to coffee and coffee-chicory mixtures and take timely action against the Food Business Operators (FBOs) who are violating the regulatory provisions in this regard,” it added.
In November last year too, the food safety regulator had asked state food safety commissioners to ramp up surveillance on this category of products to ensure they are compliant with labelling norms.
