18
May
FSSAI guidelines for Food for Special Dietary Use (FSDU)
Comments
FSSAI defines Foods for Special Dietary Use (FSDU) as “Those foods that are specially processed or formulated to meet the particular nutritional requirements of certain categories of people who cannot consume normal foods due to some specific medical or physiological conditions.”
- These foods are intended for dietary management and cannot be used as a sole source of nutrition for individuals aged two and above.
- They are often recommended for specific physiological conditions, like- sportspeople, pregnant and lactating women and ageing people. They can also be specific to health conditions like hypertension, diabetes, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, etc.
- The products may or may not be taken under the recommendation of a practitioner.
- These products must comply with specific regulations set by FSSAI and need to be labelled accordingly. In addition, the labelling must include information on the target audience, the intended use of the product, specific nutritional claims, and any warning or cautionary statements that may be required.
- The packaging of the products should be tamper-proof and mention the marking for consumption.
- The manufacturer must mention the complete supply chain of the product to enhance transparency and authenticity.
- The manufacturer must conduct periodic tests of the FSDU in an FSSAI-approved lab, and the Certificate of Analysis (COA) must be kept in a repository for reference.
- FSDU products must also comply with the general food safety regulations and guidelines set by FSSAI [1, 2].