|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
FSSAI amends contaminants, toxins and residues norms
|
|
Saturday, 04 July, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
|
|
Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
|
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has officially finalised the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations, 2026.
These new rules establish stricter maximum safety limits for heavy metals, crop toxins, and veterinary drug residues across a variety of daily food items. The regulations are scheduled to legally come into force on December 1, 2026.
Among the major updates, the FSSAI has broadened its safety umbrella for heavy metal testing.
Legal limits previously applied to raw "Pulses" for contaminants like lead and cadmium have now been explicitly extended to cover "Pulse flours" as well. Furthermore, the regulator has introduced strict testing protocols for arsenic in edible fats and oils.
Specifically, for fish oils, a strict Maximum Level (ML) of 0.1 mg/kg has been set for inorganic arsenic. Under the new protocol, if a sample's total arsenic concentration is below this limit, it is deemed fully compliant. However, any breach requires immediate follow-up testing specifically for the toxic inorganic variant.
The amendment also revises standard restrictions on crop contaminants, particularly formatting safety limits for Total Aflatoxins and Aflatoxin B1 across oils, ready-to-eat oilseeds, and oilseeds meant for further processing. Additionally, food and beverages containing mace or nutmeg kernels will face an updated safety threshold of 10 mg/kg for Saffrole.
Finally, the amendment addresses veterinary residues in aquaculture. It establishes a strict residue limit of 0.05 mg/kg for the antibiotic Trimethoprim and 0.3 mg/kg for Oxolinic acid in seafood products, including shrimps, prawns, and various fish varieties, ensuring higher consumer safety.
This final notification follows a draft regulation released in September 2024, which was opened for a 60-day public review period. After the said period, the FSSAI moved forward with enacting the permanent structural changes to its principal 2011 regulations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|