According to the APEDA Act, marketing and enhancing exports of the following products is the responsibility of APEDA. Check out the APEDA Product List.
To market your products or services, you must first determine the applicable Indian federal, state, and local ordinances you must follow to sell your products or services in India. This list of products that fall under the APEDA Act will help you determine whether your product or service is subject to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) regulations. The list isn’t all-inclusive; however, you can use it as a starting point to ensure your product or service complies with the APEDA Act. One should also consider obtaining an RCMC Certificate based on the needs.
Herbal and Medicinal Plants
According to the APEDA Act, 1985, some or all of a particular medicinal plant may be brought into India if an import license accompanies them. This is true for all plants except those listed as controlled under Schedule I and III of Indian law.
Confectionery, Biscuits and Bakery Products
This category includes sugar candies, milk chocolates, chocolate pastes and powders, fruit-based sweets, wafers and toffees. However, products with flour/wheat products are not included in confectionery products. If a product is mainly made up of flour/wheat content, more than 40% is considered a bakery product, but if less than 40%, it’s considered a confectionery product. Products where wheat flour is used as a binding agent for manufacturing chocolates or wafers also fall under confectionery but only when more than 40% wheat flour is used. The rest should be other ingredients. The labelling must be done according to the rules specified by FSSAI (Food Safety Standards Authority Of India).
Fruits, Vegetables and their Stocks
The following fresh, frozen and preserved fruits, vegetables and their stocks fall under the APEDA act. Fruits like grapes (fresh and dried), apples, bananas, pears, lemons and limes are commonly used to make jellies or fruit juices. Vegetables like cabbage (white and red), carrots, and spinach are commonly used in different forms like sautéed vegetable dishes or salads. Artificial Colors: Artificial colours approved by Central Food Technological Research Institute are permitted for use in food products. However, these colours can only be manufactured/sold/imported/exported by a duly registered person as per Ministry of Health & Family Welfare regulations.
Meat and Meat Products
Various types of meat can be produced under The Meat Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2001. However, you must remember that these rules apply only to slaughterhouses and are restricted to abattoirs alone. If you plan on raising animals or using them for dairy purposes, such activities will not fall under these guidelines. You’ll have to read each state’s regulations to determine what is permitted. Each state has different restrictions, while some overlap with others – it’s on a case-by-case basis, and there’s no current national regulation. Only one rule remains uniform throughout -you can’t sell meat within 24 hours after slaughtering an animal.
Poultry and Poultry Products
Many poultry and poultry products fall under both federal and state jurisdictions. APEDA governs egg and hen-hatching (chicken) producers, poultry incubators, semen collection centres and artificial insemination centres involved in poultry production. You must apply for a licence from APEDA if you want to do any of these activities or if you want to manufacture or import eggs, hen-hatching eggs, chicks or semen for them. If you have an established business and currently export eggs, hen-hatching eggs or chicks within India or other countries, then there is no need to register under APEDA. However, you must ensure that your current business complies with all applicable laws.
Food Additives, Processing Aids and Packaging Materials
The very important clause that exempts most food additives, processing aids and packaging materials from requiring FSSAI approval is as follows: Provided that any additive, carrier, excipient or package shall not be deemed to be food for purposes of these rules if it-
- is generally recognised as safe; or
- is only used in a quantity, proportion or concentration that does not endanger its wholesomeness or injurious health.
What Does All That Mean?
Anything you eat every day would fall under one of these two exemptions. Ingredients like salt, vinegar, sugar and spices are common examples. They’ve not considered food additives since they’ve been used for ages and are safe at their normal levels of use. Processed foods with just salt, sugar and vinegar added could also be exempted.
On the other hand, those with controversial ingredients might need FSSAI approval before going on sale. One example is monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer used worldwide but has some evidence linking it to migraines and other adverse reactions in some people. Processed meats also require FSSAI approval because they contain preservatives such as nitrates or nitrites, which may negatively impact human health if exposed over an extended period.
Conclusion
The articles listed below are covered under the FDI rules: Import into India through any mode is permitted as per Sections 5 and 6 of the FDI act. Manufacturing or assembly/processing/repair/other activities are permitted under 100% FDI subject to conditions specified in the respective section. Hence, products manufactured abroad and imported by retailers through courier or otherwise can be sold in India. However, services related to those articles, such as advertising, sale promotion etc., should be performed by a company registered for providing services within India.
FAQ
APEDA contains how many products?
The section includes detailed information on 32 major APEDA product categories, including their introduction, varieties of specific products, large parts of cultivation, India’s main export destinations, etc.
Is APEDA mandatory for export?
Once it comes to the export of timetabled products, APEDA registration is required. The steps are some of the benefits of APEDA registration.
What exactly are agricultural products that have been handled?
Agricultural processing refers to transforming, packaging, sorting, or grazing livestock or livestock products, agricultural commodities, or plants or plant foods into goods for intermediate and finished consumption, including nonfood goods.
Who supervises sugar imports in India?
APEDA has indeed been charged with developing and promoting 14 agricultural and processed food product groups mentioned in the APEDA Act Schedule. Furthermore, APEDA has been tasked with the responsibility of tracking sugar imports.
