The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released a draft of new regulations aiming to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. The proposed changes cover a wide array of food categories, with notable introductions for cheese powder and updates for purified drinking water standards.
The FSSAI invites objections and suggestions from all affected persons by August 5, 2025. Feedback can be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer at FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi-110002, or via email at regulation@fssai.gov.in.
Among the key amendments in the “Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2025” are:
New Standard for Cheese Powder
For the first time, a comprehensive standard for “Cheese Powder” has been introduced. The standard defines cheese powder as a dried form of cheese, or cheese slurry, and specifies its color (white or light cream) and texture (free from lumps that don’t break readily). It mandates a minimum of 40% milk fat (on a dry matter basis), a maximum of 5% moisture, and up to 5.5% added salt. The regulation also outlines permitted ingredients, food additives, and compliance with hygiene, labeling, and testing requirements.
Revised Drinking Water (Purified) Standards
The regulations propose a substantial update to the quality parameters for “Drinking water (purified)”. This includes detailed tables specifying permissible limits for organoleptic and physical parameters, general parameters for undesirable substances, toxic substances, radio-active residues, microbiological requirements (e.g., E. coli and total coliform bacteria not detectable in 100ml samples), and a comprehensive list of pesticide residues. The maximum limit for “Borates (as B)” in packaged drinking water has been set to 2.4 mg/l.
Clarification on Food Additives in Flours
The FSSAI has clarified that no additives are permitted in Atta, Rice flour (including for Fortified Rice Kernel preparation), Millet flour, and Mixed millet flour.
Changes in Ghee and Meat Definitions
The fatty acid composition limits for certain acids in ghee have been revised. Additionally, the words “and fish” will be omitted from the definition of “animal” in the context of meat and meat products, potentially signaling separate categorization or refined scope for fish.
New Additive for Sauces and Gravies
Sucrose esters of fatty acids (INS No. 473) will be permitted as a food additive in “Mixes for sauces and gravies” with a maximum level of 10,000 mg/kg.
