UP mandates use-by-date on loose sweets and bans hazardous coolants in milk

The Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has ordered that all sweets stored and displayed for sale across the state must carry a "Use by Date" from October 15, officials said on Sunday. The move is especially significant for loose sweets, for which there was earlier no mandatory requirement to display an expiry date or "Use by Date".

In a separate step, the department has also banned the use of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in milk and milk product processing units in the state. Officials said the measures are aimed at giving consumers clearer information about the food they buy and reducing health risks.

According to the department, inspections at sweet manufacturing and retail outlets found that in many cases consumers were not being given clear information about the date of manufacture and the expiry date of sweets. As a result, consumers were unable to make informed decisions about the freshness and shelf life of the products they were purchasing.

An order issued by Food Safety and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr Roshan Jacob said the shelf life of sweets varies according to their nature and type. Different sweets can have a shelf life ranging from one day to 30 days, and their quality, taste and freshness are affected over time. The department said displaying the "Use by Date" would help consumers know the appropriate period for consuming the product and make better-informed choices about freshness and quality.

Under the existing system, packaged sweets are already required to carry an expiry date or "Use by Date". However, there was no clear mandatory provision for displaying such information on loose sweets. Officials said the initiative is meant to improve transparency in the sweets trade while ensuring that consumers receive essential information about the food products they buy.

The department also said enforcement and inspection activities had found that some milk processing establishments were using ethylene glycol or diethylene glycol as coolants during processes such as pasteurisation and refrigeration. It said these chemicals pose serious health risks if they contaminate food products, and the ban was imposed because of the possibility of the substances mixing with milk in the event of a leak in processing equipment. The department added that propylene glycol can be used as an alternative and is already being used by many milk processing units.

With the new rules, the department has sought to ensure that sweets sold in Uttar Pradesh carry a clear "Use by Date" and that milk processing units avoid chemicals that could contaminate food products.