The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced important changes to the food regulations under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) First Amendment Regulations, 2025. These new rules will be effective from February 1, 2026, and aim to strengthen food safety and quality for consumers. The updates focus on defining new products, revising existing standards, and refining rules related to food additives and processing aids. The amendments were finalized after a public consultation process that began with the draft’s publication on October 31, 2022, and included the review of objections and suggestions from stakeholders.
New Standard for Meat Sausages
For the first time, FSSAI has introduced a detailed standard for meat sausages.
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What are Meat Sausages?
Sausages are products made by filling minced meat (like pork, poultry, or other animals) along with ingredients like fat, oil, salt, spices, and water into casings. They can be fresh, cooked, fermented, or smoked. -
Quality and Safety Rules:
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Must have a pleasant flavor, good appearance, and be free from dirt, bones, insects, or rodent contamination.
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Meat Content:
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Fresh sausages: at least 50% meat.
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Cooked or smoked: at least 60%.
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Dry or fermented: at least 65%.
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Moisture Limits:
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Fresh: 65% max.
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Cooked/smoked: 60% max.
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Dry/fermented: 50% max.
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Storage:
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Fresh or chilled sausages must be stored at 4°C.
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Frozen sausages must be kept at -18°C or lower.
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Standard for Dehydrated Tarragon
A new standard has been added for Dehydrated Tarragon, both in whole and powdered form.
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Definition:
Made from dried leaves of Artemisia dracunculus Linnaeus. It must be clean and free from pests or other plant materials. -
Composition:
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Moisture: Maximum 10%.
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Total ash: Maximum 12%.
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Acid-insoluble ash: Maximum 1.5%.
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Volatile oil content: Minimum 0.6 ml/100g (whole) and 0.5 ml/100g (powder).
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Special Oil Components:
The oil must have certain key components like methylchavicol and transanethole.
Changes in Edible Oils and Packaged Drinking Water
The refractive index values of several edible oils have been slightly revised to ensure better quality and consistency. FSSAI has also updated certain permissible limits for packaged drinking water (excluding mineral water), with changes applied to specific parameters listed in Tables 2 and 3 of regulation 2.10.8. These changes aim to enhance the safety and quality of drinking water available in the market.
Revision to Food Colours
FSSAI has updated its rules regarding synthetic food colours. Previous notes that required colours like Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow, Erythrosine, Indigo Carmine, Ponceau 4R, Carmoisine, Brilliant Blue FCF, and Fast Green FCF to be free from heavy metals and other contaminants have been removed. This is because these contaminants are already regulated under the broader Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins, and Residues) Regulation, 2011. The standard for food colour preparations and mixtures has been revised to include a list of 29 approved diluents and fillers, with detailed labeling requirements specifying total dye content for both solid and liquid colour preparations.
Updates on Food Additives and Enzymes
Some important changes have been made to food additives. The entry regarding the maximum level of Steviol glycosides in beverages has been removed. The limit for hydrogen peroxide as a bleaching and washing agent has been updated to “5 (as hydrogen peroxide)”. Several new enzymes derived from genetically modified microorganisms (GMM) have been added to Table 11A. These include Phospholipase A2, Lysophospholipase, Lipase triacylglycerol, Glucose Oxidase, Serine endopeptidase, and Chymosin. Each enzyme entry specifies the production organism, purpose, and indicative uses, with strict safety criteria such as limits for lead, antibiotic activity, and microbial contamination.
Why These Changes Matter
The latest amendments highlight FSSAI’s proactive approach to food safety. By introducing new product standards like those for meat sausages and tarragon, revising quality measures for oils and water, and updating additive rules, FSSAI ensures that Indian consumers have access to safe, high-quality, and scientifically validated food products.
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