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Centre clarifies no blanket ban on imported foods emphasises quality-check regime
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Thursday, 11 December, 2025, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has clarified that there is no comprehensive ban on all imported food products. Instead, all imported food consignments are subject to stringent quality-checks before clearance at Indian ports.
According to the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, imports are screened through a multi-step regulatory process: documentation review, visual inspection, sampling and laboratory testing at Customs Points of Entry. This ensures that any imported food adheres to the country’s food-safety laws and regulations, safeguarding the health of consumers including children.
The regulatory framework does not rely on a “negative list” of banned items from other countries. Rather, food additives permitted for use — including preservatives, colours and processing agents — are strictly defined in Appendix A of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011. Permitted additives are authorised based on risk-assessments carried out by the regulator’s scientific panel. Except for flavouring agents, there is no “blacklist” of additives.
The clarification was issued by the Ministry in response to queries in the Parliament by members concerned about food safety of imports. As stated by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh, the existing monitoring mechanism is robust enough to prevent unsafe imports, even if certain products face restrictions abroad.
With this, the government aims to reassure stakeholders that imported foods are permissible provided they meet Indian safety standards and to discourage misinformation about blanket import bans.
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