The FSSAI has proposed an amendment to the standards for hydrocyanic acid in sago through a notification dated 17 August 2016. The FSSAI has asked for comments and suggestions from stakeholders and WTO- SPS member countries within a period of 60 days from the date of the notification.
The amendments have been proposed in the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins, and Residues) Regulations, 2011, under regulations relating to “Crop contaminants and naturally occurring toxic substances” in the category of “Naturally occurring toxic substances.”
The FSSAI has added a new entry for Hydrocyanic acid, which says that in Sago, Cassava flour, Tapioca flour, Manihot flour and their products the maximum limit of hydrocyanic acid will be 10ppm.
Hydrocyanic acid, also known as prussic acid, is a naturally occurring toxin that is mostly found in the pits of fruit such as apricots, peaches, nectarines, bitter almonds, and cherries. Car exhaust and the smoke from wood, tobacco and certain plastics also release amounts of prussic acid. If the natural chemical Hydrocyanic acid is consumed in limits above those recommended it could cause toxicity, especially when consumed in high amounts.
For some time there has been demand from sago producers to revise maximum permissible limit of hydrocyanic acid in sago. Previously the maximum limit of Hydrocyanic acid was 5ppm. Sago is a processed food starch and is marketed in the form of small globules or pearls. The name sago (saboodana) is derived originally from the product which used to be manufactured from the starchy part found in the core of the stem of several palms, the main sago producing palm was known as the sago palm (Metroxylon sagu and M. rumphii). Now sago is manufactured in India from the starch obtained from the tubers of tapioca (Manihot utilissima)
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