Ayurveda Aahara Products: Understanding FSSAI Requirements and Compliance

We all know about the regulatory body called FSSAI and the products falling under FSSAI licensing. But do you know something like ‘Ayurveda Aahara products‘? If not, here it is. Let’s understand what exactly ‘Ayurveda Aahara Products’ are.

What is an ‘Ayurveda Aahara Products’?

The food products called Ayurveda Aahara do not contain medicines or drugs. They are made from ingredients thought to be good for health. Launched in 2022, it has five sections and about 800 Ayurvedic recipes.

The rules define “Ayurveda Aahara” as “food made using recipes, ingredients, or methods from approved Ayurveda books that are listed in ‘Schedule A’ of FSSAI regulations.”

Schedule A list of authoritative books for Ayurveda Aahara

*There are a total of 68 books mentioned in ‘Schedule A’ of FSSAI regulations. Here only some of them are listed.

(You can check the complete book list and regulations at Ayurveda Ahara Products)

Who laid down the guidelines for ‘Ayurveda Aahara Products’?

The Indian government, through the Ministry of Ayush and FSSAI, has made rules for food products related to Ayurveda. This is called ‘Ayurveda Aahara’. The rule aims to provide customers with high-quality and safe Ayurveda food and promote made in India products worldwide.

When were the guidelines for ‘Ayurveda Aahara Products’ released?

FSSAI notified the Food Safety and Standards Ayurveda Aahara Regulations, 2022 dated May 06, 2022. It comes into force from May 05, 2022. The Regulations shall apply to food prepared based on recipes, ingredients, or methods described in recognized books of Ayurveda enlisted under ‘Schedule A’ of these regulations.

Under these Regulations, any food prepared by the Ayurveda method, which is beneficial to health or intended for particular conditions of health called ‘Pathya’ would be considered ‘Ayurveda Aahara’.

FSSAI Releases Guidelines for Ayurveda Aahara Products: A Complete Overview

FSSAI has laid down the following regulations for such products:

• Certain Use: The name “AYURVEDA AAHARA” must be displayed in bold on the label near the product name. The label must be on the front of the package. The legal warning on the label must read “for consumption only” to reflect the fact that these products are used for serious nutritional purposes and not for medicinal purposes.
• Licensing and Approval: Any manufacturing or selling of any ‘Ayurveda Aahara products must be duly approved by FSSAI.
• Limitation of Health Claims: There is no reason to claim that Ayurvedic food products can cure or treat diseases. If a manufacturer wants to claim that their product can “reduce the risk of disease“, they need to get permission from the Food Safety Authority of India.
• Legal Coverage: All food items commonly consumed in day-to-day diets: pulses, rice, flour, and vegetables are not subjected to these regulations, unless they, in specific cases, fulfill the requirements prescribed for Ayurveda food products.
• Processed Products: Foods whose processing includes mere cleaning, polishing, dehusking, and grading are excluded from the operation of these regulations. That is to say, these minimum steps of processing will not bring these foods within the criteria of these particular Ayurveda food product regulations.
  Special Logo: ‘Ayurveda Aahara’ has a new logo that helps it be easily identified and assures quality.

• Labelling Requirements: The labels would detail the purpose of the product for whom the product is and the duration of time it is to be used, apart from other specific details.
• Declaration of natural vitamins and minerals: The manufacturer must declare the presence of vitamins and minerals in their Ayurvedic food products in their natural form so that consumers can be fully informed about the kind of the product.
• Purity criteria: When applying for a license, manufacturing companies must indicate the criteria they have implemented to ensure the purity of the materials used to prepare these products. The criteria for recommended cleaning procedure should be submitted to the authorities in cases where corrections are required.
• Health Claims: Health claims are to be made in conformation with specific requirements under the regulations.
• Exclusions: Ayurveda Aahara’ shall not include Ayurvedic medicines, cosmetics, narcotic substances or products for infants below 2 years of age.
• Additives: Rules that state that only certain types of additives can be used in Aahara Ayurvedic products. The use of vitamins, minerals and amino acids in these products is prohibited. As per Table C of these rules, only specified additions are allowed.

Schedule C- List of additives

*GMP: Good Manufacturing Practices mean any upper limit for the use of that additive is not defined by regulation, but it does not give liberty to producers to use any proportion. For such an additive lowest level possible to give the desired effect should be used.

To know more about the regulations checkout Ayurveda Ahara Products, Regulation)

FSSAI licensing of Ayurvedic products:

• Pre-Approval: The ‘Ayurveda Aahara’ products need to be approved according to the Food Safety and Standards rules for non-specific food and ingredients from 2017.
• Expert Committee: FSSAI will create a group of experts, including FSSAI members, to review and approve product claims. They will also help resolve any problems related to registration, licensing, certification, or quality.

References

• Food Safety & Standards (Ayurveda Aahara) Regulations, 2021
• Strict safety & quality standards to bring standardization in manufacturing and marketing of ‘Ayurveda Aahara’ – Ministry of Ayush by PIB Delhi.