August 3, 2006 – Mumbai, India - GCI Nutrients-India reports that the Indian Food Safety and Standards Bill 2005 will soon be signed into law. On August 25, 2005, the bill was introduced in the Indian Parliament by the Ministry of Food Processing Industry, vide Bill no 123. (http://mofpi.nic.in/foodsfty.pdf)

Dr. Bhushan Karnik, President of GCI Nutrients-India, was influential in the passage of this bill. Once the bill is put into effect, Dr. Karnik believes it will have as significant an impact on the Indian dietary supplement industry as the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) has had for the United States dietary supplement industry. The Indian bill will open up tremendous opportunities for dietary supplement companies throughout the world that want to sell to the Indian market.

The Indian Food Safety and Standards Bill 2005 maps and identifies the current deficiencies in monitoring that currently exist and provides suitable, relevant and meaningful regulations for different FOOD and FOOD-related products. In essence, the bill creates a third category in India for Dietary Supplements / Nutraceuticals / Functional Foods / Foods for special dietary application.

In the Indian Parliament, the Lower and Upper houses have recently passed this bill. Very soon, the President is expected to sign the bill into law.

When this bill is passed, the Ministry of Health will most likely be involved in governing the new regulation, but chances are that the Ministry of Food Processing Industry will also likely stake a claim to regulate it. The Ministry of Health will issue official notification regarding the new rule so that all those manufacturers who are currently manufacturing these products under food licenses under the prevention of Food Adulteration Act, will be able to apply for fresh licenses under the new rule. The companies will not be under the threat of revoking their current license.

The new rule will define what health/nutritional claims can be made and which cannot be made. Manufacturers will be encouraged to do product R&D/new product development, develop reliable testing protocols, carry out various kinds of clinical studies and establish structure-function claims based on these studies.

For more information, please contact David Pihlcrantz, Greater Continents WorldWide, Inc. Email: [email protected].

GCI Nutrients-India is a subsidiary of Greater Continents WorldWide, Inc. Greater Continents WorldWide, Inc. is a holding company for various firms selling dietary supplement raw materials and providing contract manufacturing services throughout the world.

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