The apex food regulator, FSSAI, has issued gazette notification on Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Third Amendment Regulations, 2020, relating to standards of rice, chia seeds, gari (cassava product), edible cassava flour, roasted bengal gram flour - chana sattu, ragi flour, almond kernels, coconut milk powder (non-dairy), mixed masala powder, spice oleoresins, tejpat, and star anise.

The notification says food business operators (FBOs) shall comply with all the provisions of these regulations by July 1, 2021.

The regulations seek declaration from the FBOs, if the salt content exceeds 5% by mass on the label along with spice content. 

“The minimum percentage of “Spice Content” shall be mentioned on the label and the parameters and their limits specified under these regulations shall be applicable as per the minimum spice content specified therein. In addition, the name of the specific product such as chana masala, sambar masala may also be mentioned and the salt content above 5 per cent shall be declared on the label,” say the regulations.

The regulations define mixed masala powder as the powder obtained from grinding clean and dried spices and herbs, including their extracts, which may contain ingredients such as edible starches, edible salt, dried fruits and vegetables or their products, edible vegetable oil and fats or their products, nuts and their products, cereals and pulses or their products, nutritive sweeteners or other ingredients suitable to the product.

And the spices and herbs covered under ISO, Codex, Spices Board and Food Safety and Standards (Food or Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Foods for Special Dietary Uses, Foods for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Foods and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016, may also be used, which shall be free from extraneous matter, mould growth and insect infestation.

For almond kernels, the standards prescribe moisture at not more than 6% and oil content at not less than 45% with an acidity of extracted oil expressed in oleic acid at not more than 1.25%.

For coconut milk powder, the standards prescribe moisture at not more than 2.5%, fat, on dry basis at not less than 60%, and bulk density at 0.3-0.45 g/ml.

The regulations define rice as 1. brown rice (de-husked) is obtained from paddy by removing husk and the process of de-husking and handling may result in some loss of bran; 2. milled rice is obtained by milling or polishing of dehusked rice of paddy and also removal of all or part of the bran and germ by polishing; 3. parboiled brown (de- husked) rice (brown rice of parboiled paddy) is obtained by removing husk of parboiled paddy and 4. milled parboiled rice is obtained from de- husked parboiled paddy and removal of all or part of the bran and germ by polishing.

The moisture percent by mass is prescribed at not more than 15% for brown rice (dehusked), milled rice, parboiled rice and milled parboiled rice.

For roasted bengal gram (chana sattu) the regulations set moisture by mass, at not more than 8% and crude protein at not less than 20%, while for ragi flour, moisture content is set at 10% by mass with 4.5% crude fibre, 7% crude protein.

The regulation also prescribes standards for tejpat and star anise wherein moisture content is fixed at 10% by mass for both amongst other standards.