Ghee Grading and Marking Rules 2024

REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99 The Gazette of India CG-HR-E-17072024-255481 EXTRAORDINARY PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (i) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 371] NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2024/ASHADHA 25, 1946 4289 GI/2024 MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE (Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 16th July, 2024 G.S.R. 408(E).—Whereas the draft of the Ghee Grading and Marking Rules, 2023, was published under section 3 of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 (1 of 1937) in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide G.S.R. 893(E), dated the 13th December, 2023, inviting objections and suggestions from all persons likely to be affected thereby within forty-five days from the date on which copies of the said notification published in the Gazette of India, were made available to the public; And whereas, the copies of the said notification were made available to the public on 13th December, 2023; And whereas, the objections and suggestions received from the public in respect of the said draft rules have been duly considered; Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 (1 of 1937) and in supersession of the Ghee Grading and Marking Rules, 1938 except as respect things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby makes the following rules, namely:- 1. Short title, application and commencement. - (1) These rules may be called the Ghee Grading and Marking Rules, 2024. (2) They shall apply to Ghee manufactured from milk or milk fat products like butter or cream or combination. (3) They shall come into force on the date of their final publication in the Official Gazette. 2. Definitions. - (1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires,- (a) "Act" means the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 (1 of 1937); (b) "Agricultural Marketing Adviser" means the Agricultural Marketing Adviser to the Government of India; (c) "authorised packer" means a person or a body of persons who has been granted a certificate of authorisation to grade and mark Ghee in accordance with the grade standards and procedure prescribed under these rules and the General Grading and Marking Rules, 1988; (d) "certificate of authorisation" means a certificate issued under the provisions of the General Grading and Marking Rules, 1988 authorising a person or a body of persons to grade and mark Ghee with the grade designation mark; (e) "General Grading and Marking Rules" means the General Grading and Marking Rules, 1988 made under section 3 of the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 (1 of 1937); (f) "Grade designation mark" means "Agmark insignia" referred to in rule 3; (g) "Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules" means the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 made under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (1 of 2010); and (h) "Schedule" means the schedules appended to these rules. (2) The words and expressions used and not defined in these rules but defined in the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 or the General Grading and Marking Rules, 1988 or the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them under the said Act or the rules. 3. Grade designation mark.- The grade designation mark shall consist of "Agmark insignia" incorporating the certificate of authorisation number, the word "AGMARK", name of the commodity and a grade designation resembling the design specified in Schedule-I provided that the use of Agmark Replica paper slip shall be allowed for preformed packaging material for such authorised packers who have been granted the permission by the Agricultural Marketing Adviser or an officer authorised in this regard or as may be specified from time to time. 4. Grade designation.- The grade designation to indicate the quality of Ghee shall be such as specified in Schedule- II. 5. Quality. The quality of Ghee shall be such as specified in Schedule-II. 6. Method of packing. -(1) Ghee shall be packed in packaging material in accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules. (2) The graded material of small pack sizes of the same lot or batch and grade may be packed in a master container with complete details thereon along with the grade designation mark. (3) Each package shall contain Ghee of the same type and of the same grade designation. (4) Each package shall be properly and securely closed and sealed so as to disallow spilling and marked with replica numbers issued by the competent authority. 7. Method of marking and labeling.- (1) The grade designation mark shall be securely affixed to or clearly and indelibly printed on each package or container in the manner approved by the Agricultural Marketing Adviser or an officer authorised by him in this behalf in accordance with rule 11 of the General Grading and Marking Rules. (2) The Ghee shall be marked on packaging in accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Regulations, 2020. (3) In addition to the grade designation mark, the following particulars shall be clearly and indelibly marked on each package or container, namely:- (a) name of the commodity; (b) C.A. number; (c) grade; (d) trade name(optional); (e) lot or batch number; (f) date of manufacture or packaging; (g) nutritional information; (h) net quantity; (i) name and address of the authorised packer (printed and/or scannable); (j) maximum retail price (inclusive of all taxes); (k) expiry or use by date; (l) storage condition, if any; and (m) any other particulars as may be specified under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules or under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 and the Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Regulations, 2020 or any notification issued under any law for the time being in force or any instructions issued there under. (4) The ink used for marking on packages shall be of such quality which shall not contaminate the Ghee. (5) The authorised packer may, after obtaining prior approval of the Agricultural Marketing Adviser or an officer authorised by him in this behalf, mark his private trade mark or trade brand on the graded packages provided the same do not indicate quality other than that indicated by the grade designation mark affixed to the graded packages in accordance with these rules. 8. Special conditions for grant of certificate of authorisation. - In addition to the conditions specified in sub-rule (8) of rule 3 of the General Grading and Marking Rules, every authorised packer shall comply with the conditions specified under these rules, namely:- (1) The premises should have in house laboratory for complete analysis of raw materials used for making ghee, for determining quality of raw materials and detecting possible adulterants such as preservatives, cane sugar, urea, caustic soda, starch, vegetable oil, etc. The laboratory should also be fully equipped for the analysis of ghee for prescribed parameters. The laboratory shall be manned by a qualified chemist approved by the Agricultural Marketing Adviser or an officer authorised by him in this behalf under rule 9 of the General Grading and Marking Rules for testing the quality of Ghee. (2)The process of manufacture shall be such as to retain the essential characteristics of the ghee. (3) The authorised packer shall provide all necessary facilities and assistance to the approved chemist for carrying out the grading and marking of Ghee under these rules. (4) The authorised packer shall maintain proper record of analytical reports of milk, milk fat and ghee. (5) The premises of the authorised packer used for processing and packing of Ghee shall be maintained in hygienic and sanitary condition with proper ventilation and well lighted arrangement and the personnel engaged in these operations shall be in sound health and free from any infectious, contagious or communicable diseases. (6) The premises of the authorised packer shall have adequate storage facilities with pucca floor, free from dampness, any kind of cracks and crevices, rodent and insect infestation. (7) There shall be no fat or oil other than ghee or any artificial flavoring or coloring matter in the area where ghee is manufactured or processed. (8) The authorised packer and the approved chemist shall observe all instructions regarding testing, grading, packing, marking, sealing and maintenance of records, which may be issued from time to time under the provisions of the Act. 9. Minimum infrastructure requirement. - Certificate of Authorisation for ghee shall be granted only to the parties who manufacture ghee from milk in dairy plants with requisite minimum infrastructure or facilities like:- (i) The building or infrastructure shall be permanent in nature and maintained properly with smooth, plain, cracks and crevices free flooring. (ii) There should be provision for adequate water supply, drainage system and power. (iii) There shall be separate rooms for storing packed ghee. (iv) Other infrastructural or technological requirements as specified by the Agricultural Marketing Adviser to the Government of India for dairy plants to manufacture ghee from milk. Schedule-I Design of Agmark Insignia (See rule 3) भारत सरकार C.A. No. AGMARK See Label एगमार्क GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Name of commodity ................................... Grade............................................................ Note: C.A. number may be printed either (a) inside the Agmark insignia; or (b) C.A. No. with words “see label" (replacing number place), then CA No. to be either preprinted or inkjet printed at prominent place on label. Schedule-II (See rules 4 and 5) Grade designation and quality of Ghee 1. Ghee shall be manufactured from milk or milk fat products like butter or cream or combination by means of a process which results in almost total removal of water and milk solids-not-fat. 2. Minimum requirement: (1) Ghee shall- (a) be clarified milk fat and clear and transparent at 40°C; (b) have natural, pleasant odor and agreeable taste; (c) be free from rancidity, obnoxious smell, turbidity, suspended or insoluble matter or any other foreign matter; (d) be free from separated water, sedimentations, added coloring matter and any other flavoring substances; (e) be free from synthetic oil or fat, mineral oil and animal fat (other than milk fat); (2) For domestic trade, it shall comply with the restrictions in regard to residual levels of metal contaminants, pesticide residues, crop contaminants, naturally occurring toxic substances and other food safety requirements as specified under the regulations made under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006). (3) For export trade, it shall comply with the residual limits of heavy metals, pesticides and other food safety requirements as laid down by the Codex Alimentarius Commission or importing countries requirement for export. 3. Criteria for grade designation: TABLE +------------------+------------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+----------------+---------------+-------------------+----------------------------+ | Grade | Moisture, | Milk fat, | Butyro-refractometer | Reichert Meissl | Polenske | FFA as Oleic Acid, | Baudouin | Iodine | Saponification | Presence of | | Designation | maximum % (m/m) | minimum % (m/m) | Reading at 40 °C | Value, minimum | Value | maximum, % | Test | Value | value | β-sitosterol | +==================+==============================+===========================+===================================+=============================+=================+===================================+================+===============+===================+============================+ | Special | 0.30 | 99.70 | 40.0 to 43.0 | 24 | 1.0-2.0 | 1.0 | Negative | 25-38 | 205-235 | Absent | +------------------+------------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+----------------+---------------+-------------------+----------------------------+ | Standard | 0.30 | 99.70 | 40.0 to 43.0 | 24 | 1.0-2.0 | 1.5 | Negative | 25-38 | 205-235 | Absent | +------------------+------------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+----------------+---------------+-------------------+----------------------------+ | General | 0.50 | 99.50 | 40.0 to 44.0 | 24 | 0.5-2.0 | 2.0 | Negative | 25-38 | 205-235 | Absent | +------------------+------------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+----------------+---------------+-------------------+----------------------------+ 4. Special Condition - The ghee may be additionally declared as Cow or Buffalo Ghee, if it is manufactured from milk fat or butter or cream derived from cow milk or buffalo milk respectively. For this purpose, the authorised packer shall maintain proper record of milk procurement. 5. The ghee covered under these rules shall comply with the fatty acid composition as per Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. 6. Additional requirements.- (i) The packing condition of the Ghee shall be such as to enable it- (a) to withstand transport and handling; (b) to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination. (iii) Ghee shall be stored in a cool and dry place away from direct heat and sunlight and properly maintained in a clean and hygienic condition. [F.No. -Q-11047/03/Ghee/2022-Std] FAIZ AHMED KIDWAI, Addl. Secy. (Marketing)