FSSAI orders removal of A1, A2 milk claims from products
New Delhi (PTI): Food safety regulator FSSAI on Thursday directed food businesses, including e-commerce players, to remove claims of 'A1' and 'A2' types of milk and milk products from packaging, calling such labelling misleading.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said these claims do not conform with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
In its latest order, FSSAI said it had examined the issue and found that A1 and A2 differentiation is linked to the structure of beta-casein protein in milk.
However, current FSSAI regulations do not recognize this differentiation.
"FBOs are instructed to remove such claims from their products," the regulator said, referring to food business operators.
E-commerce platforms were also told to remove these claims from products and websites immediately.
Companies have been given six months to exhaust pre-printed labels, with no further extensions to be granted.
A1 and A2 milk differ in their beta-casein protein composition, which varies based on cow breed.
The regulator emphasized strict compliance with this directive.
Welcoming the order, Parag Milk Foods Chairman Devendra Shah said the FSSAI order is a step in the right direction.
"A1 and A2 is the category developed by marketing gimmick. ...It's essential that we eliminate misleading claims that can misinform consumers," he said in a separate statement.
A1 or A2 milk product category never existed and globally also this trend is fading away, he said, and added that the FSSAI’s clarification supports this broader understanding.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Austrian police detain suspect in case of rat poison found in baby food jars on supermarket shelves
Vienna (AP): Police in eastern Austria say a 39-year-old suspect has been arrested after rat poison turned up in some HiPP baby food jars on supermarket shelves in central Europe.
HiPP, which recalled some of its baby food jars in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic after the case came to light last month, said in a statement Saturday it was “greatly relieved” by the arrest, and would provide further updates as verified details come in.
The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office, under the direction of prosecutors, said a probe was launched after poison turned up in a baby food jar purchased at a supermarket in the city of Eisenstadt on April 18.
It said the suspect was being questioned, and that no further details would be immediately provided. The Burgenland public prosecutor's office has announced an investigation into suspected “intentional endangerment of the public.”
The Austrian Press Agency reported that an expert report on the toxicity of the poison was pending. A total of five tampered baby food jars were seized before they could be consumed, APA reported.
Authorities said previously they believe the tampering occurred in 190-gram (6.7-ounce) jars of baby food made with carrots and potatoes for 5-month-olds that were sold from SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
HiPP responded by recalling all of its baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets — which include SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR and Maximarkt stores — in Austria as a precaution. Vendors in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed all of the brand's baby jars from sale.
The company said the recall was not due to any product or quality defect on its part, and said the jars left its facility in “perfect condition.”
Police said a customer at the time of the discovery had reported that a jar appeared to have been tampered with, but no one had consumed the baby food.
