26
May
How does the FSSAI define food with added prebiotics?
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How does the FSSAI define food with added prebiotics?
- Foods with added prebiotics are defined under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as “ foods that contain prebiotic substances that specifically promote the activity and growth of the good bacteria already found in the human gut to improve health and wellbeing.”
- Prebiotics are typically non-digestible carbohydrates that pass through the small intestine undigested and enter the colon, where the gut bacteria ferment them.
Regulations:
- Food containing prebiotics should mention the following information on the product label-
- the term ‘Prebiotic Food’,
- the name of the prebiotic,
- the recommended or suggested serving size that will serve the effective dose of the prebiotic according to the health claim,
- a warning labelled ‘NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE’, and
- any warning or precautions to be exercised while consuming the products, any side effects, complications or possible interactions with other medications, if there are any [1].