The FSSAI has issued Gazette Notification for the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) First Amendment Regulations, 2020 relating to the microbiological standards for meat milk and fruits and vegetables and the requirement for Salmonella in poultry (Chicken) meat.The draft amendment had been published in the Gazette of India, and copies were available to the public on the 27th December, 2018. After due consideration of the objections and suggestions received from the public in respect of the said draft regulations, the FSSAI has made the following regulations to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
Regulations
These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) First Amendment Regulations, 2020. They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette and Food Business Operator shall comply with all the provisions of these regulations by 1st January, 2021.
- In the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, the amendments are related to Appendix B
(a) in Table 2B relating to Microbiological Standards for Milk and Milk products – Food Safety Criteria –
(i) After the explanatory note relating to ‘Stage where the Microbiological Standards shall apply’, the following has been added
“The Microbiological Standards in Table-2B (Food Safety Criteria) define the acceptability of a batch or lot and shall be met in respect of the product at the end of the manufacturing process and the products in the market during their shelf- life.”;
(ii) under the explanatory note ‘’Action in case of unsatisfactory result’’, the following
Has been Deleted
Ensure that all food safety criteria as specified in Table-2B are complied with before releasing the product batch/lot in the market.
The Microbiological Standards in Table-2B (Food Safety Criteria) define the acceptability of a batch/lot and shall be met in respect of the product for releasing it in the market. These shall be applicable to the products at the end of the manufacturing process and the products in the market during their shelf- life.
And Replaced with
“Ensure that all food safety criteria as specified in Table-2B are complied with.’’;
(iii) under the explanatory note Sampling Plans and Guidelines
- in the heading For Regulator the following has been added “A set (n) of five samples shall be tested from three different accredited laboratories and the final decision shall be drawn based on three test results. There will be no provision for retesting or re-sampling for microbiological testing”; The final decision shall be drawn based on results with no provision for retesting for microbiological parameters.
- (B) in the heading relating to Reference Test Methods – latest methods shall apply– Test methods prescribed in FSSAI Manual of Methods of Analysis of Foods (Microbiological Testing) may also be referred along with the IS/ISO methods specified for Process Hygiene Criteria and Food Safety Criteria.”
In Table 4B relating to ‘‘Microbiological Standards for Fruits and Vegetables and their Products–Food Safety Criteria’’
- Under the explanatory note ‘‘Stage where the Microbiological Standards shall apply’’, the following has been added after the first paragraph.
“The Microbiological Standards in Table-4B (Food Safety Criteria) define the acceptability of a batch/lot and shall be met in respect of the product at the end of the manufacturing process and the products in the market during their shelf- life.”
- Under the explanatory note ‘‘Action in case of unsatisfactory result’’ the last paragraph given in the notes is to be OMITTED the omitted portion is as follows The Microbiological Standards in Table-4B (Food Safety Criteria) define the acceptability of a batch/lot and shall be met in respect of the products at the end of the manufacturing process and the products in the market during their shelf- life
- under the explanatory note ‘’Sampling plans and Guidelines’’, –
In the heading ‘‘For Regulator” these words are to be added before the last line of the paragraph.
A set (n) of five samples shall be tested from three different accredited laboratories and the final decision shall be drawn based on three test results. There will be no provision for retesting or re-sampling for microbiological testing”; The testing in laboratory shall be ensured as per reference test methods given below in reference test methods for regulatory compliance.
- Under the heading ‘‘Reference Test Methods’ the following will be amended as follows-Reference test methods- latest version shall apply. In case where an ISO method adopted by the BIS is specified (e.g IS XXXX/ISO YYYY), latest version of the ISO method (or its BIS equivalent, if available) shall apply. Test methods prescribed in FSSAI Manual of Methods of Analysis of Foods (Microbiological Testing) may also be referred along with the IS/ISO methods specified for Process Hygiene Criteria and Food Safety Criteria.”;
In Table 5B relating to “Microbiological Standards for Meat and Meat Products– Food Safety Criteria”
- in the Table, in Column (3), for the heading, “Salmonella”, the heading “SalmonellaS shall be substituted.
- after the Table and “NA-Not Applicable”, the following shall be inserted, “For poultry meat the requirement shall be applicable for Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi, Typhimurium and Entritidis”
- Under “Stage where the Microbiological Standards shall apply”, following entry shall be inserted after the first paragraph
The Microbiological Standards in Table-5B (Food Safety Criteria) define the acceptability of a batch/lot and shall be met in respect of the product at the end of the manufacturing process and the products in the market during their shelf- life.”;
- under “Action in case of unsatisfactory result”, the following “Ensure that all food safety criteria as specified in Table-5B are complied with before releasing the product batch/lot in the market. The Microbiological Standards in Table-5B (Food Safety Criteria) define the acceptability of a batch/lot and shall be met in respect of the product for releasing it in the market. These shall be applicable to the products at the end of the manufacturing process and the products in the market during their shelf- life
Has been Amended to
‘‘Ensure that all food safety criteria’s specified in Table-5B are complied with’’
- Under Sampling plans and Guidelines in the heading “For Regulator” following shall be inserted, before the last line in the paragraph ……A set (n) of five samples shall be tested from three different accredited laboratories and the final decision shall be drawn based on three test results. There will be no provision for retesting or re-sampling for microbiological testing. The final decision shall be drawn based on results with no provision for retesting for microbiological parameter
- In the heading relating to ‘‘Reference Test Methods” the following will be added Test methods prescribed in FSSAI Manual of Methods of Analysis of Foods (Microbiological Testing) may also be referred along with the IS/ISO methods specified for Process Hygiene Criteria and Food Safety Criteria.”
- in the Table, against. S. No. 9, the entry Clostridium perfringens will be replaced with
“Clostridium botulinum”.
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