The Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2022.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on 10^th June 2022, has published the Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Foods) Regulations, 2022 which deals with vegan food compliance and notifies the labelling and display requirements.

As per this regulation, the term vegan food” means the food or food ingredient, including additives, flavourings, enzymes and carriers, or processing aids that are not products of animal origin and in which, at no stage of production and processing, ingredients, including additives, flavourings, enzymes and carriers, or processing aids that are of animal origin has been used.

No person shall manufacture, pack, sell, offer for sale, market or otherwise distribute or import any food as vegan food unless they comply with the requirements laid down under these regulations.

• The food products to be called vegan, shall not have involved animal testing for any purpose including safety evaluation, unless provided by any Regulatory Authority.
• Every packaging material used for vegan foods shall comply with the provisions of the packaging regulations.
• The Food Business Operator shall ensure that all stages of production, processing and distribution shall be designed to take the appropriate precautions in conformity with the Good Manufacturing Practices in such a way to avoid the unintended presence of non-vegan substances.
• If the same production line is shared with non-vegan products or ingredients, thorough cleaning or comparable measures in conformity with Good Manufacturing Practices shall be carried out before production of vegan products commences and the same shall extend to all associated machinery, equipment, utensils and surfaces
• The Food Business Operator shall take appropriate precautions in conformity with the Good Manufacturing Practices before vegan products are prepared, produced or packaged.

The Food Business Operator shall submit an application to the concerned licensing authority with all necessary details in a format as may be specified by the Food Authority.

• The Food Authority may specify guidelines for approval of vegan logo.
• No vegan food products shall be imported except with a certificate issued by the recognised authorities of the exporting countries in the format as specified by the Authority is accepted.