The Indian standards authority BIS publishes a series of new standards in the food sector

11. December 2019

On the occasion of World Food Day on 16 October, the Indian standards authority BIS drew attention to the existing mandatory approval for products such as infant and baby food, milk powder, drinking water and concentrated milk. These foods require mandatory registration, and additional requirements for packaging and transport have now been issued in addition to the regulations governing production.

The more than 2150 BIS standards in the food and feed sector are based on the ISO 22000 standard regarding a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) which ensures product safety throughout the entire process chain from the field to the plate. Such a system includes the monitoring and certification of food production, catering and packaging for the food industry. Furthermore, BIS implements the ISO 22003 standard for basic regulations of authorities and institutions that carry out certifications and audits for a food safety management system.
Indian agriculture is at the first step of food production. For this purpose, a quality management system and guidelines for the cultivation of food crops have been introduced. Based on BIS Standard 16550 (Part 1), this agricultural monitoring system began in 2016 and ensures sustainable food production. As part of its implementation, BIS is also committed to the application of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP). For this purpose, an Indian standard India-GAP has been created to cover various aspects of the production, storage, handling and distribution of agricultural products in order to ensure a sustainable supply of the desired quality.
However, production in the field is only part of the process chain in the food industry. BIS is therefore now planning standards for the transport of fresh fruit, vegetables, cereals and legumes to ensure food safety. As these products usually come into contact with packaging during processing, certification will also be introduced for this sector. These requirements apply to both local producers and importers. Please contact us in good time to find out about the procedure and costs of India certification. You will find further details and free downloads on our website.
If you need assistance with your BIS approval or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly: EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673 or send us an email.
For more information regarding the BIS certification, please read our free information booklet “BIS Certification – The Booklet“.