The Government of India has extended the date for implementing the new packaging rule. What are these new rules, and what does it mean for companies and consumers?
Have you ever bought a product just because the packaging of the product was attractive? Everyone knows the answer. It’s a ‘yes’!
But, from now onwards, companies are responsible for writing correct information on the packaged product.
What’s Happening?
From February 1, 2023, the central government was about to implement new packaging rules in India, but now it has been pushed forward. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has issued a notification informing that the new regulations will be implemented from April 23, 2023.
But what are these rules about?
According to the new rule, companies will have to give complete information on packing 19 products, such as milk, tea, biscuits, edible oil, flour, bottled water, baby food, pulses and cereals, cement bags, bread and detergents.
For example, the price per gram or millilitre should be written if the packaged product weighs less than the standard. Additionally, it will be necessary for companies to give information about the manufacturing date of goods and the country in which the product is manufactured.
FSSAI New Labelling Rules
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is also framing rules for the Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labeling (FOPL) of packaged food products. Its draft, released in September 2022, also proposes a star rating for food quality, among other measures.
Packaging Market in India
Do you know how huge the packaging market is in India? It is so huge that there are companies whose role is solely packaging. Companies manufacture the product, and its packaging is entrusted to another organisation. The demand for packaged food in India is higher than ever before. Most food industries are trying to make their packaging more reliable and attractive and are finding ways to increase the shelf life of foods.
According to the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), packaging consumption in India has grown by 200% in the last decade.
According to the Packaging Industry Association of India, the packaging industry is growing rapidly at 22%-25% annually. The packaging market in India was valued at $50.5 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow to $204.81 billion in 2025.
Benefits of New Rules
According to Zee Business, companies making goods will have complete freedom to decide the quantity of packaged items they sell in the market under the new rule. On the other hand, having the correct information written on the packaging saves the customer from exposure to misleading information and fraud.
That’s it for today. We hope you find this information interesting. Remember to share it with your friends.
