Through a notification dated 22 June, 2021 the FSSAI has extended the date for the compliance of Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Ninth Amendment Regulations, 2020 related to use of processing aid in the food products.
FSSAI has drawn reference to the notification dated 9 October, 2020 related to the insertion of Appendix ‘C’ with regard to the use of processing aids in food products. As per this notification the date of enforcement of the amendment regulation is 1 July 2021.
However, FSSAI has received representations from stakeholders with requests to extend the timeline for compliance with the provisions of the above-mentioned amendment notification dated 22 June 2021, as another notification has also been notified earlier on 4 March 2021 regarding the amendment in the list of processing aids and which is to be enforced from 1 January 2022.
After due consideration of the representations and in order to harmonise the implementation of the two lists of the processing aids mentioned above, the FSSAI has decided to extend the timeline, for the compliance of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Ninth Amendment Regulations, 2020, to 1 Day of January 2022.
About Processing Aids
FSSAI definition: “Processing aids” means any substance or material, not including apparatus or utensils, and not consumed as a food ingredient by itself, intentionally used in the processing of raw materials, foods or its ingredients, to fulfil a certain technological purpose during treatment or processing and which may result in the non-intentional but unavoidable presence of residues or derivatives in the final product.
The main purpose of a processing aid is to help in the manufacture of a food products and so they are used for various reasons like
- Improving product and organoleptic qualities
- Maintaining consistency
- Enhancing nutrition
- Maintaining product wholesomeness.
- Enhancing shelf life and promoting food safety.
Only those processing aids may be used in foods which are approved by the FSSAI according to the standards as mentioned in regulations. Processing aids for use in foods are approved by the FSSAI after taking into consideration public health safety as these processing aids must not cause harm to consumers.
Source : FSSAI
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