FSSAI has released a draft notification to amend Appendix A, under the heading, IV. Use of food additives in food products, of the Food Safety Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
The draft, called the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2019, issued by FSSAI, sought clarification on several additives, and was about the maximum level of quantity of different additives to be used by a food manufacturer, particularly for the bakery products.
The draft prescribed recommended the maximum level for some additives for bakery shortenings, including Lactic and fatty acid esters of glycerol at 10,000 mg/kg, Mono and diglycerides of fatty acids at GMP and Polyglycerol esters of fatty acid at 5,000mg/kg.
It added that in the food category system 2.2.2, in Column (2), for food category named Fat spreads, dairy fat spreads and blended spreads (margarine, bakery shortenings and fat spreads), shall be substituted, by Fat spreads, dairy fat spreads and blended spreads (margarine and fat spreads).
And against the food additive sorbates, in Column (5), for the entry 2,000 mg/kg, the entry 1,000 mg/kg shall be substituted. Further, against the food additive Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetates (EDTA) in Column (5), for the entry 100 mg/kg, the entry 50 mg/kg shall be substituted.
According to industry experts, food additives are used to improve the taste, appearance and other qualities of food products.
“The importance of this particular draft cannot be neglected as it has been mended for consumer safety. Excessive use of additives can lead to reactions, digestives disorders, and other allergies. This draft shall caution the FBOs on manufacturing the food products with MRL (maximum residue limits) of additives and safeguard human lives. FBOs (food business operators) should, therefore, adhere to the said draft and its new standards,” said Ashwin Bhadri, chief executive officer, Equinox Labs.
He added that the food industry will be affected by and large by this order, as the FBOs will have to fix their existing food additive quantities.
“The FBOs will have to rework their food products in order to match the current standards. On one hand, this draft shall restrict the FBOs to develop new products as the number of additives shall be comparatively less. And on the other, the consumers will be at the behest of achieving quality food products with minimum additives in it. They will be protected against various illnesses,” Bhadri said.