|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ayurvedic Aahar gets a regulatory framework
|
|
Thursday, 09 July, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Anurag More, Mumbai
|
India's centuries-old Ayurvedic food traditions are receiving a formal regulatory framework. In a major step towards bringing greater consistency and credibility to traditional wellness foods, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has expanded its Ayurvedic Aahar regulations with a comprehensive operational framework that standardises some of the country's oldest culinary preparations.
The expanded Ayurvedic Aahar standards represent more than a regulatory update. They signal an effort to bridge India's ancient culinary traditions with the demands of a modern food industry preserving authenticity while creating the consistency, transparency and trust needed to help Ayurvedic foods reach a wider domestic and global market, opine experts.
The latest expansion builds on the regulator's initial framework introduced on July 25, 2025. This time, however, FSSAI has gone beyond broad classifications, creating a detailed recipe-based catalogue of classical Ayurvedic foods that specifies ingredients, preparation methods, botanical references and formulation ratios.
Drawing from authoritative Ayurvedic texts including the Charaka Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, Pakadarpanam and Bhavaprakash Nighantu, the framework seeks to preserve India's traditional culinary knowledge while providing a robust regulatory structure for commercial food manufacturers.
Industry stakeholders believe the move addresses a long-standing gap by helping distinguish authentic Ayurvedic foods from products that simply carry the label.
Standardising traditional preparations
The expanded framework covers four major categories of Ayurvedic food preparations.
Under Paka, which includes cooked vegetable stews and stir-fries, FSSAI has standardised 29 therapeutic recipes. The Peya category, comprising functional rice gruels, includes 61 recipes. The regulator has also codified nine Rasala (medicated curd preparations) recipes and ten Shaktava (roasted grain flour drink) formulations.
The notification builds on the Food Safety and Standards (Ayurveda Aahara) Regulations, 2022, which had earlier identified 22 broad Aahara Kalpana categories. These included preparations such as black gram fritters, wheat balls, soups, gulkand, sweetened milk, steamed rice cakes, raw mango beverages, buttermilk curry, khichdi, milk-based preparations, modaka, murabba and panaka. Developed in consultation with the Ministry of Ayush, those regulations laid the foundation for manufacturing Ayurvedic foods within a recognised regulatory framework.
Protecting tradition while enabling innovation
For many in the food industry, the expanded standards represent an important milestone.
Nicole Gonsalves, Chef and Founder of Tavora Smokehouse, believes the framework safeguards India's culinary heritage without limiting innovation.
"Ayurvedic Aahar represents centuries of wellness wisdom. Standardisation doesn't restrict creativity—it provides the guardrails," she says. "Chefs can continue experimenting with local grains, seasonal produce and mindful cooking techniques while staying true to the principles of balance and intention. It allows the category to evolve from a niche offering into a mainstream wellness segment with integrity."
She also sees tangible commercial benefits. “Clear classifications simplify labelling, ingredient selection and manufacturing practices. That builds consumer trust while encouraging responsible innovation across restaurants and consumer packaged goods. It gives India's wellness food heritage something it has long needed—structure without losing its soul."
Creating a level playing field
The business community has broadly welcomed the move.
Aditya Mihir, Executive Director of Cura Ayurvedic & Unani Limited, says the absence of detailed classifications had long created uncertainty for both manufacturers and consumers.
"For years, products were marketed as Ayurvedic without genuinely following traditional formulations or principles. The new framework creates a stronger foundation for authenticity and quality," he says.
According to Mihir, clearly defining categories such as Paka, Peya, Rasala and Shaktava provides manufacturers with a transparent regulatory pathway while rewarding companies that have invested in research, quality sourcing and authentic formulations.
"It creates a level playing field. It also opens the door for Ayurvedic foods to evolve into modern, commercially viable products while preserving the integrity of India's traditional knowledge systems."
Raising the bar for functional foods
Industry observers also view the announcement as part of a broader tightening of food regulations in India.
Divyashikha (Divya) Gupta, Founder and CEO of Millwize, says the 2026 regulations mark an important shift for India's functional food sector by strengthening consumer safety and improving transparency.
"For years, clean-label claims have largely depended on brand promises. By enforcing standardised limits on heavy metals and toxins, food safety moves from being a voluntary commitment to an industry-wide requirement," she says.
Gupta believes the stricter standards will benefit companies that have invested in scientific sourcing, rigorous testing and quality assurance while making it increasingly difficult for brands to rely solely on wellness marketing.
"As these regulations come into effect, they will naturally distinguish brands that genuinely invest in food science from those that simply market wellness. Ultimately, this strengthens consumer trust and positions Indian health and nutrition brands as global leaders in quality."
Bridging ancient knowledge and modern food standards
Yatish Talvadia, Founder and Chief Experience Officer of Anmasa, says the new framework brings long-awaited structure to an area that has largely depended on interpretation.
"FSSAI's move to codify classical preparations like Paka, Peya, Rasala and Shaktava, drawing directly from texts such as the Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hridaya, gives long-overdue structure to a space that has run largely on assumption. For decades, traditional dietary wisdom has existed outside any formal framework, leaving both consumers and food businesses without a reliable way to distinguish authentic preparation from marketing dressed up as 'Ayurvedic.' By defining precise ingredients, ratios and processing methods for each category, the regulator is building a bridge between ancestral knowledge and modern food safety standards, and that kind of standardisation is exactly what this space has needed."
Talvadia says the framework reflects Anmasa's own philosophy that processing methods are as critical as ingredient quality.
"Our belief has always been that freshness and nutrition cannot be separated from how food is actually processed. Whether it is milling flour fresh to order using a natural stone chakki at low RPM or extracting oils through traditional wood pressing using Vagai wood, we believe the method of processing is as important as the quality of the ingredient itself. Rather than relying on long, opaque supply chains and highly industrialised processing, we have consciously chosen time-tested practices rooted in India's food traditions. A regulation of this kind reinforces the same principle—that the method of preparation is just as important as the ingredient, and that consumers deserve complete clarity on both."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|