Desi sweets-shops must print 'Best before date' on boxes from October 1

While buying sweets, you must now check the 'Best before date' as it has been made compulsory for the sweetmakers to mention it on the product. The new norm will be in force from October 1, 2020.

Holi sweets — Indians purchase traditional sweets for 'holi' celebrations at a roadside stall in the old city in Allahabad on March 4, 2015. 'Holi', the festival of colours, is a riotous celebration of the coming of spring and falls on the day after full moon annually in March. Revellers spray coloured powder and water on each other with great gusto, whilst adults extend the hand of peace.Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images

While buying sweets, you must now check the 'Best before date' as it has been made compulsory for the sweetmakers to mention it on the product. The new norm will be in force from October 1.

It means the shopkeeper has to inform the customer that till what date the dessert will remain edible.

However, it will not be mandatory to write the date of manufacture of the product, as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has left it to the will of the manufacturers. Federation of Sweets and Namkeen Manufactures (FSNM) director Feroze Naqvi said that this has brought great relief to the confectioners, but will also face difficulties in writing 'Best before date' as it is not practical.

FSSAI has made it mandatory from October 1 to write 'Best before date'

In a September 25 order, the FSSAI has made it mandatory from October 1 to write 'Best before date' on sweets plates in shops for the open sale of sweets, but there will be no restriction on the date for making sweets. The FSSAI has stated in the order that it would be optional to write the date of making.

Naqvi told IANS over phone from Mumbai, "FSSAI has accepted half of our point that it is no longer mandatory for us to write a manufacturing date. However, the best before date will be effective from October 1. However, we are also in talks on this. We have put our problems in front of the FSSAI."

He said that printing the best before date for sweets is not practical as there is a large range of sweets on which it would be difficult to change the date repeatedly. He said that the order regarding the open sale of sweets came in February, which was extended twice in the coronavirus period, but now from October 1, it has been made mandatory to write the best before date on sweets packs.

This order of FSSAI is only for the open sale of sweets. Naqvi said that this order will be applicable for unpacked sweets whereas for food items like packaged sweets, namkeen, it is mandatory to write the period of manufacture and the date till it is best for the consumption.