NEW DELHI: In its bid to empower consumers to make informed decisions before buying any packaged item, the government will implement new packaging norms from next April. The manufacturers will have to make additional declarations to MRP by mentioning the price of the commodity per unit — per kg or litre for items weighing more than a kg or litre; and per gram or millilitre (ml) for items of less than one kg or a litre.
There will be similar norms for items that can be measured in metres and centimetres.
The amended Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules also removes the “specified quantities” norms for packaging for 19 types of items including milk, tea, biscuits, edible oil, atta, soft drink and drinking water, baby food, pulses and cereals, bread, cement bag, and detergents. So, there will be no such government mandated specifications on quantities and with this the manufacturers will have freedom to decide the quantities of all packaged items.
Another major change is mandatory declaration of “month and year of manufacture” on imported packaged items instead of the current regime where the importer or seller has the option of mentioning either month and date of import or pre-packing. “The quality of any product is linked to the manufacturing date,” said a consumer affairs ministry official. The ministry has notified the changes in the rules.