Definition of infant food products
The Indian government defines infant food as: "any food (by whatever name called) being marketed or otherwise represented as a complement to mother’s milk to meet the growing nutritional needs of the infant [after the age of six months and up to the age of two years]."
FSSAI notification of 4 December 2020 (REGD No. L-33004/99 (PDF 1.9 MB) – in English from p39) which provides infant food includes but is not limited to:
- "Milk cereal based complementary food" means the food for infants after 6 months up to 24 months of age, which is based on milk, cereals and /or legumes (pulses), millets, nuts and protein concentrates or protein isolates and/or defatted edible oilseed extracts and so prepared as to permit dilution with water or milk or other suitable medium.
- "Processed cereal based complementary food" means food for infants after 6 months up to 24 months of age, which is based on cereals and legumes (pulses), millets, nuts and protein isolates or protein concentrates or de-fatted edible oil seed extracts and so prepared as to permit dilution with water or milk or other suitable medium.
- "Follow-up formula" means a food for infants after six months up to 24 months of age, which is intended for use as a liquid part of the complementary diet for infants when prepared in accordance with instructions for use.
- "Food for infants based on traditional food ingredients" are products known to be prepared traditionally at home for feeding infants, but processed and provided in packaged forms, after six months up to 24 months of age.
Further information can be found at Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (PDF 322 KB) and The infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles and infant foods (regulation of production, supply and distribution) Act, 1992 (PDF 279 KB).
Registration requirement
From 1 February 2023, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) required all foreign food manufacturing facilities of infant food products, being exported to India, to be registered with FSSAI. Other businesses in the export supply chain (e.g., exporters, freight forwarders, storage facilities) do not need to be registered.
The Department provided the FSSAI with an initial list on 30 January 2023. The list included information on:
- Details of the Food Manufacturer: Name: Address: Contact details.
- Approval/Licence no. issued by the competent authority.
- Name of Product/s to be exported to India.
The Department will update lists (add new or change manufacturing facility details) for FSSAI upon request.
To apply to the Department for registration, an authorised person in management at the manufacturing facility, must complete both forms below and return to the Department via email to the Non-prescribed Goods Exports Program at NPGExports@agriculture.gov.au.
Please state ‘FSSAI Registration’ in the subject line of your email.
Once updated lists are received by FSSAI, registration of facilities will be completed by FSSAI staff within the FSSAI portal. For more information on this process, please refer to FSSAI Order (PDF 204 KB) dated 10 December 2022.
The Department encourages all exporters to work closely with their importers to ensure that products meet India’s current importing country requirements.
