Declaration of Cinnamon on food packages mandatory, says FSSAI

The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has clarified that it is mandatory for the Food Business Officers (FBOs) to declare Cinnamon (Dalchini) on every food package.

Declaration of Cinnamon is regulated under FSS (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011 which provides that “Every Package containing Cinnamon shall bear the label of Cinnamon (Dalchini).

This declaration of Cinnamon is however, applicable to a package containing Cinnamon as a single ingredient, it said.

FSSAI said that there is no need to declare “Cinnamon” separately on all packages of food containing Cinnamon as compound or as ingredient as the same will be declared in the list of ingredients.

The clarification came in the backdrop of reports that Food Safety Officers are issuing notices to FBOs for non-declaration of Cinnamon on many products such as Upma mixes, Masala Oats, Masala Poha, Masala noodle etc. where Cinnamon is one of the ingredients.