Through a notification dated 12 July 2016, the FSSAI has proposed some amendments in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 related to Fats, Oils and Fat Emulsions. The FSSAI has also invited comments/suggestions from WTO-SPS Member Countries on the proposed amendments. Once approved and notified these amendments will be called the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2016.
The FSSAI has proposed to add some new standards to the regulation on OILS under which the following changes are proposed.
- Virgin Coconut Oil which has been defined and will be oil that has been expressed from copra obtained from the kernel of Cocos nucifera nuts by mechanical or natural means with or without the application of heat and which does not lead to alteration of the oil in any way. Virgin coconut oil is suitable for human consumption in its natural state without refining. Beside other standards, one important proposal is that no additives may be added to Virgin coconut oil.
- The second proposed amendment is a change in the name for “Linseed oil.” Here the words “Flaxseed/Linseed Oil” are proposed to be used in place of the word “linseed.”
- In the standards relating to Rapeseed oil or mustard oil-low erucic acid the entry Acid Value “Not more than 0.6” is to be replaced by Acid Value “Not more than 6.0.”
- Another amendment proposed by FSSAI in this category is related to Palm Oil. For Palm oil, the words “Acid Value” will be replaced by “Free Fatty Acid (expressed as Palmitic Acid)”
- Another proposed change Palm Oil will now read as “where indigenously produced raw Palm Oil, when obtained by the method of expression, may be supplied for human consumption only if the percentage of Free Fatty Acid (Palmitic Acid) is not more than 3.0.
- But if palm oil is imported into the country or if it is domestically produced and has a percentage of Free Fatty Acid more than 3.0 and up to 10.0 or it is obtained by solvent extraction then it will be refined before it is supplied for human consumption. Other standards for palm oil will be the same as existing and in addition, a new standard is proposed which is Flash Point (Pensky-Marten closed method) – Not less than 250° C.”
- In the standards for Palm Kernel Oil for the standard for “Acid Value,” the standard that will be substituted is as follows
“Free Fatty Acid (expressed as Lauric Acid) – Not more than 10.0 percent”
- Further if Palm kernel oil is imported into the country or domestically produced and has a Free Fatty Acid percentage of more than 3.0 and up to 10.0 or obtained by solvent extraction then it will be supplied for human consumption only after refining and shall conform to the standards already laid down and in addition it shall have flash point (Pensky– Martens closed method) – not less than 250°C.”
Other changes have been made to sub-regulation relating to EDIBLE FATS under Cocoa butter. After the proposed amendment, the definition of Cocoa Butter will read as “Cocoa butter means the fat produced by extraction or expression from cocoa beans, the fermented and dried seeds of Theobroma cacao L, or its constituent parts (except the shell), or its products, cocoa nib, cocoa fines, cocoa mass, cocoa press cake or expeller press cake. It shall be free from rancidity or other off odours, adulterants or other harmful ingredients. It shall have the color, odour and taste characteristic of cocoa butter. If the fat is obtained by the method of solvent extraction, it shall not contain hexane more than 5ppm.
Cocoa butter needs to confirm to already existing standards already and the following changes are now added
Unsaponifiable matter – Not more than 0.7 percent by weight and
in case of press cocoa butter – Not more than 0.35 percent by weight”.
FSSAI has set standards for Peanut Butter which FSSAI did not have earlier. Peanut butter has been defined as cohesive, comminuted food product prepared from clean, sound, shelled peanuts/groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) by grinding roasted mature kernels from which the seed coats have been removed. It may contain sugar, liquid glucose and edible oils and fats permitted in these regulations.
The standards will be as follows
Moisture – Not more than 3.0 percent by weight
Fat – Not less than 40.0 percent by weight (on dry basis)
Protein – Not less than 25.0 percent by weight (on dry basis)
Total ash – Not more than 5.0 percent by weight (on dry basis)
The acid value of extracted fat Not more than 4.0
Salt as NaCl Not more than 2 percent by weight
Test for argemone oil shall be negative.
The product may contain food additives permitted in Appendix A of Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
For both the new products Virgin Coconut Oil and Peanut Butter
- Contaminants, Toxins and Residues standard shall comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins, and Residues) Regulations, 2011
- The products shall be prepared and handled in accordance with the guidance provided in the Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 and any other such guidance provided from time to time under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006.
- The product shall conform to the microbiological requirement given in Appendix B of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011
- The provisions laid down under Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011 shall apply
- Methods of Sampling and Analysis will be as provided in the relevant Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Manual of Method of Analysis of Food.
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