NEW DELHI: To make food safer and more traceable, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed new rules that would require food manufacturers to record what they produce and what raw materials they use every day, according to a draft notification issued in the Gazette.The proposed changes aim to improve hygiene, accountability and consumer safety, especially in processed and packaged foods.Under the draft rules, food manufacturing units will have to maintain daily records of production and ingredients, making it easier for regulators to track problems such as contamination, substandard ingredients or unsafe batches. Traders and distributors who do not manufacture food will not be covered under this requirement.The draft also seeks to enforce stricter storage practices. Food businesses will have to follow “first-in, first-out” (FIFO) and “first-expire, first-out” (FEFO) principles, ensuring that older or near-expiry food is used or sold first. This is intended to reduce the risk of expired or unsafe food reaching consumers. Retail shops, however, have been kept out of this provision.FSSAI has invited public feedback for 30 days before finalising the rules.Officials say the move is part of a wider effort to strengthen food safety as India’s food market expands, and to give consumers greater confidence in the quality of food they buy.
