12 January 2023
Purpose
This Industry Advice Notice (IAN) is to advise industry stakeholders and manufacturers on the process to meet India’s requirements for infant food manufacturers exporting to India to be registered with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) (refer MAA2023-02).
Key points
- As per MAA2023-02 the FSSAI requires all foreign food manufacturing facilities of infant food products being exported to India to be registered with FSSAI. These requirements take effect from 1 February 2023.
- The competent authorities of exporting countries, for Australia the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (the Department), must provide FSSAI a list of existing and new manufacturers intending to export infant food to India.
- Manufacturing facilities must be registered with FSSAI at least 24 hours before exported products arrive in India.
- The Department will provide an initial list of infant food manufacturing facilities to FSSAI on Monday 30 January. To be include on the list applications must be received by the Department by 24 January 2023. The Department will add new manufacturing facilities on an as needs basis moving forward.
Definition of infant food products
The Indian government defines infant food as follows:
Infant food - any food (by whatever name called) being marketed or otherwise represented as a complement to mother’s milk to meet the growing nutritional needs of the infant [after the age of six months and up to the age of two years]
The Department refers exporters to the further guidance provided by FSSAI in its notification of 4 December 2020 (REGD No. L-33004/99 – in English from p39) which outlines infant food includes (but is not limited to):
- “Milk cereal based complementary food” means the food for infants after 6 months up to 24 months of age, which is based on milk, cereals and /or legumes (pulses), millets, nuts and protein concentrates or protein isolates and/or defatted edible oilseed extracts and so prepared as to permit dilution with water or milk or other suitable medium.
- “Processed cereal based complementary food” means food for infants after 6 months up to 24 months of age, which is based on cereals and legumes (pulses), millets, nuts and protein isolates or protein concentrates or de-fatted edible oil seed extracts and so prepared as to permit dilution with water or milk or other suitable medium.
- “Follow-up formula” means a food for infants after six months up to 24 months of age, which is intended for use as a liquid part of the complementary diet for infants when prepared in accordance with instructions for use.
- “Food for infants based on traditional food ingredients” are products known to be prepared traditionally at home for feeding infants, but processed and provided in packaged forms, after six months up to 24 months of age.
Further information can be found Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and The infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles and infant foods (regulation of production, supply and distribution) Act, 1992
How to apply for registration with FSSAI
India’s requirements apply to manufacturing facilities whose product is intended for export to India. Other businesses in the export supply chain (e.g. exporters, freight forwarders, storage facilities) do not need to apply. Exporters should work with their suppliers to apply to the Department.
If you are a registered export dairy manufacturer and you produce prescribed infant food under the Export Control Act 2020 and the Milk and Milk Products Rules 2021, the department will automatically forward the required information to the FSSAI for registration. For any queries regarding prescribed milk and milk products contact the Dairy, Eggs, Fish program at dairyeggsfish@aff.gov.au.
If your product is not prescribed, you will need to apply to the Department through the below process.
An authorised person, in management at the manufacturing facility must complete both forms below and return them to the Department via email to the Non-prescribed Goods Exports Program at NPGExports@aff.gov.au. To aid the timely processing of applications, please note ‘FSSAI Registration’ in the subject line of your email.
- Application for export listing of establishments manufacturing/exporting non-prescribed goods (PDF 649 KB)
- Export Listing Request Form
The Department will submit an initial list to FSSAI on Monday 30 January 2023. To be include on the list applications must be received by the Department by COB 24 January 2023. The Department will add new manufacturing facilities on an as needs basis moving forward.
The Department encourages all exporters to work closely with their importers to ensure that product meets India’s current importing country requirements
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding this IAN please email the Non-prescribed Goods Export Program at NPGExports@aff.gov.au.
Jemma Martin
A/g Assistant Secretary
Exports and Veterinary Services Division