India to Revise Important Food Safety Standards

On Jan. 19, 2016, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) preannounced the amendments to Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, which will be open for public consultation until Feb. 19, 2016.

1. The scope for iodine value of cotton seed oil has been revised from “98-112” to “98-123”, and relevant requirements on its blending with physically refined rice bran oil have been added.

2. The microorganism indexes, physiochemical indexes, requirements on toxic substances and substances undesirable in excessive amounts for packaged drinking water have been revised.

3. The section of “fruit and vegetable products” has been added with the requirements on essential composition and quality factors, microbiological requirements, packing and marking, contaminants, etc. of the following:

• Canned tomatoes

• Tomato juice

• Jam, fruit jellies and marmalades

• Frozen beans

• Frozen cauliflower

• Frozen peas

• Frozen spinach