Through an order dated 13 January 2017 the FSSAI has asked FBOs in the sugar industry to add ‘storage’ under the kind of business they do in their existing FSSAI License. This is required if they store and sell molasses, the by-product of sugar manufacturing.
The FSSAI has asked FBOs manufacturing sugar to include ‘storage’ as the sugar by-product is stored and is most often sold to Distillery Units as a raw material in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages. A number of Audit Authorities have raised the issue of inadequacy of requisite storage facilities for molasses. Storing molasses appropriately is an important point because the molasses are used as an ingredient in the manufacture of other food commodities.
According to the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food businesses) Regulation, 2011, “Equipment and containers for waste, by-products and inedible or dangerous substances, shall be specifically identifiable and suitably constructed.” The FSSAI is aware that the sale, distribution and use of molasses are also regulated under the license granted by the State Excise Department.
The quantity of molasses produced depends on the cane crushed and sugar produced. However, due to lack of proper storage facilities, substantial quantities of molasses can undergo deterioration especially if there has been large sugar production. Some sugar manufacturing units, especially those that have low returns are not willing to install proper storage tanks for molasses. Since the FSSAI has now made ‘storage’ a part of the licence for sugar manufacturers, hence sugar manufacturing premises shall be subject to inspection from time to time to ensure compliance of the provisions of the regulation mentioned above in the storage of molasses.
About Molasses
Some of you might not be aware that cane pressing and producing sugar from sugarcane was developed in India as early as 500 B.C. Even today the Sugar industry is one of the most important agro-based industries in India. The principle by-product of cane sugar production is molasses. About 15% of the sugar in sugarcane is molasses. Molasses is produced both in the raw and refined sugar.
In India Molasses is used in the manufacture of manufacture of industrial and potable alcohol, yeast and for cattle feed. Nearly 90% of molasses produced is used for industrial alcohol manufacturing and remaining 10% for various other uses like potable liquor especially rum. Alcohol in turn is used to produce ethanol, rectified spirit and various value added chemicals. Molasses is also used as raw material for the manufacture of lactic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, butanol-acetone and monosodium-glutamate. The molasses used for human consumption is of a much higher grade, and contains much more sucrose.
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