'Use by date' mandatory for loose sweets in Uttar Pradesh: UP Food Department

The Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has mandated the display of 'Use by Date' on all sweets stored and displayed on counters for sale across the state ahead of the festive season.

The measure is highly crucial for loose sweets as the category remained out of mandates for a long time and there had previously been no mandatory requirement to display an expiry date or 'Use by Date, officials told PTI on Sunday.

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Starting October 15, all sweet shops and retailers in the category would be required to follow the latest norms.

FSDA inspections carried out at sweet manufacturing and retail outlets revealed that, in many instances, sellers do not provide clear information to consumers regarding the date of manufacture and the expiry date of the sweets, officials said.

Hence, the consumers are unable to make informed decisions about the freshness and shelf life of the sweets they purchase are often mislead.

According to an order issued by Dr Roshan Jacob, Commissioner of the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, cited by PTI, the shelf life of sweets varies based on their nature and type, and can range from one day to 30 days.

Over time, the quality, taste, and freshness of sweets are affected, depending upon the ingredients and weather conditions.

Therefore, the order said, it is essential for consumers to be aware of the "Use by Date" when purchasing sweets to ensure their health and well-being.

The food safety department noted it belives that clearly displaying the "Use by Date" will inform consumers about the appropriate timeframe for consuming the food product and will enable them to make more informed decisions regarding the freshness and quality of the sweets.

Under the existing norms, it is mandatory to mark the expiry date or "Use by Date" only on packaged sweets. However, there was no clear, mandatory provision for disclosing similar information for loose sweets.

The latest initiative that comes ahead of the 2026 festival season, aims to enhance transparency in the confectionery trade while ensuring that consumers are provided with essential information about the food products they buy, the officials told PTI.

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The government agency also highlighted that the use of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol in milk and milk product processing units has been banned in Uttar Pradesh after enforcement and inspection activities revealed that some milk processing establishments were using ethylene glycol or diethylene glycol as coolants during pasteurisation and refrigeration.

These chemicals pose serious health risks to consumers if they contaminate food products. The ban on ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol was imposed due to the risk of these substances mixing with milk in the event of a leak in processing equipment, the government agency said.

It added that propylene glycol could be used as an alternative, a substance already utilised by many milk processing units.

(With inputs from PTI)