The directive requires manufacturers of packaged supplementary foods and cereals for children up to two years to display the prescribed breastfeeding warning prominently
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has directed manufacturers of packaged infant food to carry the warning “Mother’s Milk Is Best For Your Baby” on products covered under the applicable regulations, making breastfeeding the central message on labels of infant foods sold in the state.
The directive follows surveys conducted by the state food safety regulator, which found that packaged food products were not complying with mandatory labelling requirements, according to media report. Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said manufacturers must comply with the provisions of the Infant Food Regulation Act and related rules.
The requirement applies to packaged infant foods, including supplementary foods and cereals intended for children up to two years of age, the report said. The FDA’s direction requires manufacturers to ensure that the prescribed warning is prominently displayed on products covered by the regulations.
The directive does not amount to a ban on infant formula, according to the report. Formula products will continue to be available for sale, provided manufacturers comply with the regulatory requirements governing their labelling, packaging and promotion.
Mundhe also cited breastfeeding data for Maharashtra, with the rate reported at 75.2 per cent in rural areas compared with 52.8 per cent in urban parts of the state. The difference has prompted the regulator to emphasise compliance with provisions governing infant food products and breastfeeding-related communication.
Under the rules cited by the FDA, supplementary foods should be introduced to infants only after they complete six months of age. The compliance requirements also restrict the use of images of mothers or babies on infant food packaging and prohibit companies from advertising or promoting infant food products.
The latest directive comes amid stepped-up food safety enforcement by the Maharashtra FDA under Mundhe. The regulator’s teams have inspected or raided more than 3,000 food businesses in Mumbai since Mundhe took charge as the state’s food safety chief in May.
The enforcement campaign has covered restaurants, hotels and other food establishments, with the FDA taking action against businesses over alleged violations of food safety and hygiene requirements. The regulator has also suspended licences where inspections identified conditions it considered to pose risks to consumers.
The FDA’s recent action against Mumbai’s Kyani & Co is part of the same wider enforcement drive. The food licence of the 122-year-old Irani café was suspended after an inspection reportedly found cats, rat droppings, live flies and dead cockroaches in food preparation and storage areas, along with other hygiene violations.
Mundhe has said the authorities will continue action against establishments involved in selling or storing expired or tampered food products and those preparing or handling food in unhygienic conditions. The FDA has indicated that legal action will be taken in cases where violations warrant further proceedings.
