Through a notification dated 13 February the FSSAI has regularised the amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 and prescribed standards for some new products and food additives in the regulation CEREAL AND CEREAL PRODUCTS. The FSSAI has taken into consideration the objections, comments and suggestions made on the draft standards and has finalised them adopting BIS standards for Malt Extract, Expeller Pressed Flour, Lactic Acid, Baker’s Yeast, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Propionate, Sodium Metabisulphite and Potassium Metabisulphite. The prescribed regulations will be called the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Second Amendment Regulation, 2017.

Previously there were no standards for MALT EXTRACTS and FSSAI has added standards for malt extracts which is a product prepared with water, sound malted grains of cereals like barley, wheat and millets. Malt or malt extract will not be prepared from wheat gluten, corn grits, edible starches (such as potato or tapioca), un-malted whole grains and legume flours. However, in the manufacture of malted milk food and malt based foods, protein sources like wheat gluten, soya protein or any other external protein sources may be used.

Malt Extracts shall be of the following type

  1. Diastatic Malt Extract
  2. Non Diastatic Malt Extract
  3. Brewery Grade Malt Extract

Standards will be as follows

Characteristic                         Requirement
Type 1 Type 2 Type 3
Density at 20ºC Min 1.39 1.39 1.39
Refractive Index at 20º C, Min 1.489 1.489 1.489
Total solids (as is basis) % by weight, Min 77 77 55
Reducing sugar, on dry basis, (calculatedas anhydrous maltose), % by weight, 55-65 55-65 55-65
Crude protein (on dry basis), % by weight, Min 3.5 3.5 2.5
Test for starch Negative Negative Negative

FSSAI has also added standards in the category EXPELLER PRESSED FLOUR

Expeller Pressed Edible Groundnut Flour means the product obtained by expeller pressing fresh, clean degermed groundnut kernels which have been decuticled after mild roasting. The kernels shall be sorted and selected either by visual inspection, inspection under ultraviolet light, electronic sorting or by other means. Added flavouring, colouring agent or any other extraneous matter, castor husk and MAHUA oilcake are not permitted. It shall adhere to the following standards:

Moisture  –                               Not more than 9.0 per cent by weight

Total ash  –                              Not more than 4.5 per cent by weight on dry basis

Ash insoluble in dilute HCI – Not more than 0.35 per cent by weight on dry basis

Protein (Nx6.25)  –                  Not less than 45 per cent by weight on dry basis

Crude fibre  –                          Not more than 5.0 per cent by weight on dry basis

Fat  –                                          Not more than 9.0 per cent by weight on dry basis

Acid value of extracted fat –   Not more than 4.0 per cent

In the regulation STANDARD FOR ADDITIVES, FSSAI has also added the standards for following additives

Baker’s Yeast

Baker’s yeast is of the following two types

Baker’s yeast compressed in the form of a block if a white creamy colour which should not be mouldy or slimy and not show signs of decomposition. It shall be stored at 1 to 5ºC

Baker’s yeast dried will be in the form of granules, pellets or flakes and will not be stored at temperatures more than 25ºC.

Standards will be as follows

Characteristics                                                    Requirements for

                                                                      Baker’s yeast                        Baker’s yeast

Compressed                         Dried

Moisture, percent by weight, max             73                                            8

Dispersibility in water                                  To satisfy the test     To satisfy the test

Fermenting power, Min                               1000                           350

Dough raising capacity                               To satisfy the test     To satisfy the test

To satisfy the test the method prescribed is IS:1320

Fermenting parameters are to be tested within 24 hours of the production of yeast.

Lactic Acid (Food Grade) (INS 270)

Lactic acid will be yellowish to colourless syrupy liquid with an acidic taste and no odour. It shall be obtained by lactic fermentation of sugars or prepared synthetically. It shall be miscible in water and ethanol. It shall give positive test for lactate. It shall conform to the following specifications:

Characteristics                                                       Requirements

Purity C­3H6O3 % by weight of the labelled

Concentration                                                          Not less than 95.0%

Sulphated as% by weight Max                              0.1

Chlorides % by weight, Max                                  0.2

Sulphates (as SO4) % by weight, Max                 0.25

Citric, oxalic, phosphoric and tartaric acids         Conform to test

Sugars                                                                       Conform to test

Readily carbonizable substances                                    Conform to Test

Iron, mg/kg, Max                                                       10

Lead mg/kg, Max                                                      2

Conform to test must be as per methods prescribed in IS: 9971

Ascorbic Acid (Food Grade) (INS 300)

Ascorbic acid is defined as a white odourless crystalline solid. Its melting range is 190ºC to 192ºC with decomposition. The material is freely soluble in water and sparingly soluble in ethanol and insoluble in ether. Standards are as follows:

Characteristics                                                                       Requirements

Purity as C6H8O6 %                                                                         99

Loss on drying over sulphuric acid for 24 hours, % by            0.4

weight, Max

Sulphated ash, % by weight, Max                                                  0.1

Specific rotation, when determined in a 2 % (m/v) solution     +20.5º to +21.5º

in water at 20ºC

pH of 2 % (m/v) solution                                                                 2.4 -2.8

Lead mg/kg Max                                                                               2

Calcium Propionate (Food Grade) (INS 282)

Calcium propionate shall be white crystals or crystalline solid possessing a faint odour of propionic acid and freely soluble in water. Standards are as follows

Characteristic                                                                      Requirement

Purity as C6H10O4Ca % by weight on dry basis, Min                 98

Moisture, % by weight, Max                                                           5.0

Matter insoluble in water, % by weight, Max                               0.3

Iron (as Fe), mg/kg, Max                                                                 50

Fluoride, mg/kg, Max                                                                       10

Lead mg/kg, Max                                                                              5

Magnesium (as MgO)                                                          To pass the test (about 0.4%)

pH of the 10 %(m/v) solution at 25 + 2ºC                                     7-9

Sodium Metabisulphite (Food Grade) (INS 223)

Sodium Metabisulphite are colourless crystals or white to yellowish crystalline powder having an odour of sulphur dioxide. The material is soluble in water but insoluble in ethanol. Standards are as follows

Characteristic                                                                   Requirement

Purity

  1. As Na2S2O5 % by weight,                                                   Min 95
  2. As SO­2 % by weight                                                             Min 64

Water insoluble matter, % by weight, Max                                0.05

Thiosulphate, % by weight, Max                                                   0.01

Iron mg/kg, Max                                                                                5

Selenium (as Se), mg/kg, Max                                                       5

Lead mg/kg, Max                                                                              2

pH                                                                                                       Acidic to litmus

Potassium Metabisulphite (Food Grade) (INS 224)

Potassium Metabisulphite shall be white or colourless, free flowing crystals, crystalline powder or granules usually having an odour of sulphur dioxide. It gradually oxidizes in air to sulphate. The material is soluble in water but insoluble in ethanol. Standards are as follows

Characteristic                                                          Requirement

Purity as K2S2O5 % by weight Min                                    90

Water insoluble matter, %by weight, Max                        0.05

Thiosulphate, % by weight, Max                                       0.1

Iron, mg/kg, Max                                                                   5

Selenium (as Se), mg/kg, Max                                           5

Lead mg/kg, Max                                                                  2

pH                                                                                           Acidic to litmus

MICROBIOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS OF OTHER PRODUCTS

Food Products Parameters Limits
Baker’s Yeast Compressed Total bacterial count, CFU/g (on dry basis), Max 7.5X10­­­­­­­­­­­­­­5
E. coli, CFU Absent in 1g
Salmonella, Shigella species Absent in 25g
Coliform count, CFU/g, Max 10
Rope spore count, CFU/g, Max 10
Baker’s yeast Dried Total bacterial count, CFU/g (on dry basis), Max 8 X106
E. coli, CFU Absent in 1g
Salmonella, Shigella species Absent in 25g
Coliform count, CFU/g, Max 50
Rope spore count, CFU/g, Max 100

All food products and food additives in these regulations must adhere to the following

Food Additives (for food products)

Only those food additives permitted under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 shall be used.

Hygiene

The product/additive shall be prepared and handled in accordance with the guidelines provided in Schedule 4, Part-II of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 and such guidance as provided from time to time under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Contaminants, Toxins and Residues

The product covered in this standard shall comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011. The products covered in this standard shall conform to the Microbiological Requirements given in Appendix B of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.

Packaging and Labelling

The products shall comply with the packaging and labelling requirements specified under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.