The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to do away with the regulations that prohibit sale of pulses containing incidental presence of khesari gram dal (lathyrus sativus) or any edible grain.
The apex food regulator has issued an order in this regard saying that it has been decided to immediately operationalise the amendment notification to insert a proviso with respect to incidental presence of khesari gram/dal in pulses no more than 2% by mass.
Khesari gram dal grows as weeds with pulses’ plants and it’s very difficult to separate the two post-harvest. The traders have been demanding the authorities to allow the sale of pulses having presence of khesari gram dal but the authorities considered this as adulteration and therefore prohibited its sale.
S Vel Shankar, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Food Grains Merchant's Association, told FnB News that FSSAI has given permission to sell them together is a big relief for the traders as well as farmers because the percentage of khesari gram is low, as low as 2 per cent.
“They grow along with the crops and since the farmers don't have modern equipment to separate the two, it becomes extremely difficult to do so manually, thankfully it's now possible to sell them together,” said Shankar.
Meanwhile a representation was received by the FSSAI from the state of Madhya Pradesh seeking permission to allow 2% of khesari dal in procurement of dal/pulses. Subsequently a consultative meeting was held between the Union Health Minister and the Agriculture Minister and it was decided to allow 2% khesari dal including all other edible grains as incidental in pulses.
Therefore, in the FSS (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Amendment Regulations 2020, in regulations 2.2 related to restriction on use of certain ingredient, the FSSAI has decided to add, “Provided that pulses may contain incidental presence of khesari gram including other edible pulses/grains not more than 2% by mass.”