FSSAI sets 12,000 standards for food additives & ingredients

Notification soon; should ease approval process

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has finalised 12,000 standards for food additives and ingredients, in line with global safety standards, to do away with lengthy process of product approval.

The move is expected to benefit food companies, as they would not require to seek product approval from FSSAI if they comply with these. At present, there are 375 FSSAI safety standards for food items but none for food additives and ingredients.

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“The law ministry is vetting the standards and a notification will be issued soon,” a senior health ministry official told PTI.

The new standards are in harmony with the global food standards of Codex Alimentarius Commission, established by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organization, the official said.

FSSAI, under the health ministry, has fixed maximum limit for use of additives in various food groups to ensure the intake does not exceed the acceptable daily intake.

Similarly, it has set norms for use of ingredients in preparation of processed food items.

After the Maggi controversy, FSSAI has stepped up measures to strengthen  quality standards.

It is reviewing the existing one set for caffeine content, metal and toxic  contaminants and other residues in the food products.

The regulator is also in the process of setting standards for imported items to ensure safe products are sold in the domestic market.