Indian hemp industry ready for lift-off as regulatory landscape improves

Published 2022년 1월 12일

Tridge summary

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has included hemp seeds and seed products in its Food Products Standards and Food Additives regulations for the first time, recognizing hemp as a food product. This move has been welcomed by the local hemp industry, with expectations of a 10x growth in the sector. The regulations set limits on THC and CBD, and prohibit claims about CBD or the Cannabis plant on product labels. This is anticipated to open up the market for more hemp-based food products, aligning the industry with international standards and catering to the growing trend towards plant-based diets and healthier food choices in India.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Although hemp-based food products have been present in the market in India for several years, all products were previously regulated under the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in the country as the local food authority Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had not set any standards for hemp locally. This situation took a positive turn late last year when FSSAI finally issued a gazette notification to include regulations governing hemp seeds and seed products under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Fifth Amendment Regulations, 2021, marking the first time hemp products have been recognised as food in the country. “[Hemp] seeds, hemp seed oil and hemp seed flour shall be sold as food or used as an ingredient in a food for sale subject to conforming to [FSSAI-defined] standards, [including adhering to specified] THC and cannabidiol (CBD) limits,” said FSSAI via the ...

Source: Food Navigator Asia