FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS
(FOOD PRODUCT STANDARDS
AND FOOD ADDITIVES) REGULATION,
2011 AND FAQ[FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS (FOOD PRODUCT STANDARDS AND
FOOD ADDITIVES) REGULATION, 2011 AND FAQ]
The Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food
Additives) Regulation, 2011 came into force on 5° August, 2011 and deals
with the implementation of various Standards of Food contained therein.
The salient features of the regulation are that these standards are vertical
standards and they provide the detailed standards of various food
products, and prescribes the limits of various food additives used across
different food groups; and lays down microbiological requirement for
different foods.
The regulation is divided into three chapters. Chapter 1 deals with the
implementation period and definitions of various food product and their
processing techniques. Chapter 2 lays down vertical standards and
provides information on detailed standards of various food products
including proprietary food and irradiation of food. Chapter 3 defines
various substances (additives) that can be added to food and prescribes
standard limits across different food groups.
Chapter 1.
The first part of the chapter prescribes the date on which these
regulations shall come into force. The first proviso for the Regulation 1.1.2
gives the exemption to some standards and their limits which were
followed in the earlier Acts/ Orders as mentioned in the second schedule
of the Food safety and Standards Act 2006. While integrating previous
Acts/ Orders, a stand was taken that standards outlined under PFA shall
remain applicable. However, there were certain standards for caramel,
natural colour etc which are at variance with the existing Regulation. In[FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS (FOOD PRODUCT STANDARDS AND
FOOD ADDITIVES) REGULATION, 2011 AND FAQ]
order to consider these standards and additives an exemption was given to
them, till such time standards are finalized and notified by FSSAI. The
second part of the chapter prescribes the definitions for various food
products and different processing techniques which can be referred in the
regulation.
Chapter 2:
Defines various categories of food products and standards of
individual food items. These are vertical standards and here the food
products are arranged/ grouped under the major categories as per the
(Codex system and the standards of individual items of food products are
listed out. The major categories of food products under this chapter are as
follows: