The apex body of Food Safety has drawn reference to the Food Safety and Standards (Foods for Infant Nutrition) Regulations 2020 published in Gazette of India on 4th December, 2020. The regulations throw light on standards for infant food including hypoallergenic infant milk substitutes. Notably, the date of compliance of these regulations was extended up to 01″ April, 2022.
Consequently, in this regard a direction dated 30.06.2021 was issued to allow the import of two Hypoallergenic Conditions (i.e. severe allergy due to multiple food protein intolerance that cannot be effectively managed by extensively hydrolyzed formula, and cow milk protein allergy) till 31.03.2022.
FSSAI has further clarified that regulation 15(1)(a) of ibid Regulations already covers hypoallergenic infant milk substitute products based on extensively hydrolyzed whey protein or casein or free amino acids. Hence two hypoallergenic conditions mentioned above are included in the regulations.
The Food Business Operators (FBOs) should fulfill the standards of hypoallergenic infant milk substitute as specified under the above mentioned regulations which will come into effect on 01″ Apri1, 2022.
