INDIA. India’s duty free shops are to be excluded from new domestic regulations on food safety standards, it has been confirmed.
As previously reported, duty free is to be considered a separate channel and thus exempt from domestic rules.
The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) decision set an important precedent and was an “extremely significant victory” for the duty free industry.
A delegation led by APTRA and the International Spirits & Wines Association of India (ISWAI) met the Chairman of the FSSAI in Delhi in April to discuss the proposed regulations and why duty free should be exempted.
In early June instructions were issued by the chairman of the FSSAI to all its authorised officers and Food Safety Commissioners to the effect that duty free shops are to be exempt from the FSSAI rules. That change has now been implemented officially by customs officers across India.
APTRA led the duty free exclusion efforts for over two years, supported by other industry parties. These included key stakeholders in the Indian duty free & travel retail industry such as Bommidala, Delhi Duty Free, DFS, Diageo/United Spirits, Flemingo, GMR Delhi and Pernod Ricard. Other trade associations such as the European Travel Retail Confederation, Duty Free World Council and UK Travel Retail Forum were also involved, as well as the International Spirits & Wines Association of India, several non-duty free spirits associations, and foreign trade delegations. Brand owners also wrote to their national trade delegations.
APTRA President Jaya Singh stated: “We welcome the decision of the FSSAI to exclude duty free from the new regulations regarding food safety standards. The combined efforts of stakeholders in the duty free and travel retail industry, together with relevant duty free and liquor trade associations, have secured an extremely significant victory.
“Differentiating duty free from the domestic market, establishing that it is a separate trading channel operating under specific international rules, sets an important precedent.”
Kreol Travel Retail CEO A S Lal previously told The Moodie Davitt Report that the FSSAI’s decision would be a sensible one. “We were all burdened by the previous rules which, frankly, weren’t really required for the travel retail sector,” he said.
“Common sense dictates that no operator will sell food products which are harmful to consumers. Passengers already carry food products for personal consumption or for gifting to family and friends which, realistically, cannot be subject to testing at airports.
“Similarly, imposing domestic consumption rules on food products sold through travel retail outlets is restrictive and unnecessary as these products are not for public distribution in the domestic markets.”
