Caffeinated beverage makers will soon have to make prominent declaration of caution on the labels of their products stating that they are not recommended for children, pregnant or lactating women.

This is part of the standards for the caffeinated beverages that have been notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) this month. The regulator said that companies will need to comply with all the provisions of these regulations by July 1, 2017.

The standards have set the limits of caffeine at levels of not less than 145 mg per litre and not more than 300 mg/litre, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

FSSAI had already operationalised these standards last month and is awaiting a final notification. It has also set limits for other ingredients, such as Taurine, Insoitol among others as well as vitamins, to be added to caffeinated beverages.The notified standards also prescribe specific labelling requirements for such products. This includes a declaration of the per day quantity. “A declaration “consume not more than 500 ml per day” shall be made on the label that represents the per day quantity,” the notification added.

The per day quantity indicates the maximum amount of caffeinated beverages that can be consumed in one day.

Additional provisions for labelling requirements include, “Prominent Display of Caution “Not recommended for children, pregnant or lactating women, persons sensitive to caffeine,” the notification added. The consultation for stakeholders for these norms had started in 2013, which were reviewed and finalised in the scientific panel and scientific committee. The regulator approved the final notification in May 2016.

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