The FSSAI within its powers is entitled to enforce regulations and also to make amendments from time to time as it deems fit. According to a notification dated 17 October 2014, Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards And Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 have been amended and the amendments will be called the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards And Food Additives) Amendment Regulations 2014. These regulations will be taken into consideration 30 days from the date of publication of the notification in the Official Gazette.
According to the notification the substance pullulan will now be added to the list of substances that can be used in specified limits in the foods mentioned by the regulations. Pullulan is a naturally occurring fungal polysaccharide produced by fermentation of liquefied corn starch by Aureobasidium pullulans, a ubiquitous yeast like fungus.
Internationally pullulan is used as a glazing agent, as a film forming agent, as a thickener or as a carrier in the production of capsules for dietary supplement as a substitute for gelatin, coating for coated tablets containing dietry supplements, for production of edible flavoured films used as breath freshners and in the production of jams and jellies, confectionery and some meat and foot products . It is also used as a texturiser in chewing gum and as a foaming agent in milk based desserts. However, FSSAI has specified the foods it will be used in under the list of foods in the given table (S. No. 20).
Table – Other Substances to be used in Specified limits
S. No. | Substances | Food | Maximum level of use (ppm) mg/kg |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Ammonium Carbonate | Baked Food Confections | 5000 |
2. | Ammonium bicarbonate | Do | GMP |
3. | Baking powder | Baked Foods | GMP |
4. | Ammonium Phosphate Monobasic | Bread | 2500 |
5. | Ammonium persulphate | Do | 2500 |
6. | Calcium Phosphate | Do | 2500 |
7. | Calcium Carbonate | Do | 5000 |
8. | Potassium Bromate and /or Potassium Iodate | Do | 50 |
9. | Ammonium Chloride | Do | 500 |
10. | Fungal Alpha-amylase | Do | 100 |
11. | Sodium Stearoyl-2 Lactylate or Calcium Stearoyl-2 Lactylate (Singly or in combination) | Do | 5000 |
12. | L-Cystein Mono Hydrochloride | Do | 90 |
13. | Benzoyl Peroxide | Flour for bakery | 40 |
14. | Potassium bromate | Do | 20 |
15. | Ascorbic acid | Do | 200 |
16. | Gluconodelta Lactone | Cured meat or meat products | 5000 |
17. | Chlorine | Flour for Bakery | 2000 |
18. | Ascorbic acid/Iso Ascorbic acid and its salts singly or in combination | Corned beef, Luncheon, Meat, Cooked Ham, Chopped Meat, Canned Chicken, Canned Mutton and Goat Meat | 500 |
19. | Phosphates (Naturally present and added) expressed as P2O5 | Luncheon Meat, Cooked Ham, Chopped Meat | 8000 |
20. | Pullulan (thickening and glazing agent) | Dairy based desserts, such as pudding, fruit or flavoured yoghurts etc. Fat based desserts excluding dairy based dessert products of food category I mentioned above Precooked pastas and noodles and like products Seasoning and Condiments | GMP |
According to the notification of the FSSAI in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards And Food Additives) Regulations 2011, changes have been made to regulation 3.1 relating to “Food Additives”. The new notification says that in the sub regulation 3.1.17 relating to “Other substances to be used in Specified limits” in the TABLE after the serial number 19 and the entries relating thereto, Pollulan will be added as substance no. 20.
The use of substances is specified in column (2), the food where it can be used in is mentioned in column (3) of the Table and the limits that it shall not exceed are given in column (4). Nineteen substances are already mentioned in the regulation and Pullulan will be substance number 20 to be added to the existing list.
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