In the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins, and Residues) Regulations, 2011 in the regulation METAL CONTAMINANTS (2.1) the sub-regulation (2.1.1) provides the proposed changes in the limits of the metals in specific foods. FSSAI has also asked stakeholders for their views, comments, and suggestions.
- Chemicals described in monographs of the Indian Pharmacopoeia when used in foods, shall not contain metal contaminants beyond the limits specified in the appropriate monographs of the Indian Pharmacopoeia for the time being in force.
- Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation above (1), no article of food specified in the table below shall contain any metal in excess of the quantity given against the name of the food in the table below
Name of the Metal
Contaminants |
Article of food | Parts per
Million (mg/kg or mg/L) |
1. Lead | Concentrated soft drinks (but not including
concentrates used in the manufacture of soft drinks) |
0.5 |
Fruit and vegetable juice (including tomato juice,
but not including lime juice and lemon juice) |
1.0 | |
Concentrates used in the manufacture of soft drinks, lime juice and lemon juice | 2.0 | |
Fruit Juices (including nectars; ready to drink) | 0.05 | |
Wine | 0.2 | |
Carbonated water, expressed in mg/L | 10.0 | |
Packaged drinking water (other than mineral water), expressed in mg/L | 0.01 | |
Natural mineral water, expressed in mg/L | 0.01 | |
Edible oils and fats | 0.5 | |
Edible fats and oils (edible fats and oils not covered
by individual standards) |
0.1 | |
Margarine | 0.1 | |
Minarine | 0.1 | |
Named Animal fats (lard, rendered pork fat, premier
jus and edible tallow) |
0.1 | |
Olive oil, Virgin olive oil ,Extra virgin olive oil,
Ordinary virgin olive oil, Refined olive oil, Refined olive pomace oil and Olive pomace oil |
0.1 | |
Vegetable Oils, crude (oils of arachis, babasu,
coconut, cotton seed, grape seed, maize, mustard seed, palm kernel, palm, rape seed, safflower seed, sesame seed, soya bean, and sunflower seed, and palm olein, stearin and superolein and other oils but excluding cocoa butter) |
0.1 | |
Vegetable Oils, edible (oils of arachis, babasu,
coconut, cotton seed, grape seed, maize, mustard seed, palm kernel, palm, rape seed, safflower seed, sesame seed, soya bean, and sunflower seed, andpalm olein, stearin and superolein and other oils but excluding cocoa butter) |
0.1 | |
Milks (Concentration factor shall be applied to
partially or wholly dehydrated milks) |
0.02 | |
Secondary milk products (as consumed) | 0.02 | |
Infant formula (ready to use) | 0.02 | |
Infant milk substitutes and Infant foods | 0.2 | |
All types of sugars, sugar syrup, invert sugar and
direct consumption coloured sugars with sulphated ash content exceeding 1.0 percent |
5.0 | |
Raw sugars except those sold for direct
consumption or used for manufacturing purpose other than the manufacture of refined sugar |
5.0 | |
Edible molasses, caramel liquid, solid glucose and
starch conversion products with a sulphated ash content exceeding 1.0 per cent |
5.0 | |
Anhydrous dextrose and dextrose monohydrate,
refined white sugar (sulphated ash content not exceeding 0.03 per cent) |
0.5 | |
Hard boiled sugar confectionery | 2.0 | |
Ice-cream, iced lollies and similar frozenconfections | 1.0 | |
Cocoa powder | 5.0 on dry fat free substance basis | |
Yeast and yeast products | 5.0 on dry matter basis | |
Baking powder | 10 | |
Turmeric whole and powder | 10 | |
Dehydrated onions, dried herbs and spices, curry
powder and mix masalas, flavourings, alginic acid, alignates, agar, carrageen and similar products derived from seaweed |
10 on dry matter basis | |
Tea | 5.0 on dry matter basis | |
Liquid pectin, chemicals not otherwise specified,
used as ingredients or in the preparation or processing of food |
10 | |
Solid pectin | 50 | |
Brewed vinegar and Synthetic vinegar | 0.01 | |
Assorted subtropical fruits, edible peel | 0.1 | |
Assorted subtropical fruits, inedible peel | 0.1 | |
Berries and other small fruits | 0.2 | |
Citrus fruits | 0.1 | |
Pome fruits | 0.1 | |
Stone fruits | 0.1 | |
Brassica vegetables excluding Kale | 0.3 | |
Bulb vegetables | 0.1 | |
Fruiting vegetables , cucurbits | 0.1 | |
Fruiting vegetables other than cucurbits(excluding
mushrooms) |
0.1 | |
Leafy vegetables (including brassica leafy vegetables but excluding spinach) | 0.3 | |
Legume vegetables | 0.2 | |
Root and tuber vegetables | 0.1 | |
Other vegetables | 2.5 | |
Canned fruit cocktail | 1.0 | |
Canned grape fruit | 1.0 | |
Canned mandarin oranges | 1.0 | |
Canned mangoes | 1.0 | |
Canned pineapple | 1.0 | |
Canned raspberries | 1.0 | |
Canned strawberries | 1.0 | |
Canned tropical fruit salad | 1.0 | |
Jam (fruit preserves) and jellies | 1.0 | |
Mango chutney | 1.0 | |
Table Olives | 1.0 | |
Canned asparagus | 1.0 | |
Canned carrots | 1.0 | |
Canned green beans and canned wax beans | 1.0 | |
Canned green peas | 1.0 | |
Canned mature processed peas | 1.0 | |
Canned mushrooms | 1.0 | |
Canned palmito | 1.0 | |
Canned sweetcorn | 1.0 | |
Canned tomatoes | 1.0 | |
Canned chestnuts and canned chestnut purée | 1.0 | |
Canned fish, canned meats, edible gelatin, meat
extracts and hydrolysed protein, dried or dehydrated vegetables (other than onions) |
5.0 | |
Pickled cucumbers (Cucumber pickles) | 1.0 | |
Processed tomato concentrates | 1.5 | |
\ | Cereal grains, except buckwheat, canihua and
Quinoa |
0.2 |
Pulses | 0.2 | |
Poultry meat | 0.1 | |
Cattle, edible offal of | 0.5 | |
Pig, edible offal of | 0.5 | |
Poultry, edible offal of | 0.5 | |
Poultry fats | 0.1 | |
Meat of cattle, sheep and pig (also applies to fat
from meat) |
0.1 | |
Corned beef, Luncheon meat, Cooked ham,
Chopped meat, Canned chicken, Canned mutton and Goat meat and other related meat products. |
2.5 | |
Fish | 0.3 | |
Crustaceans | 0.5 | |
Cephalopods | 1.0 | |
Bivalve Molluscs | 1.5 | |
Salt, food grade | 2.0 | |
Iron fortified common salt | 2.0 | |
Potassium iodate | 10 | |
Food colours other than caramel | 10 on dry colouring matter basis | |
Tartrazine | 10 | |
Sunset Yellow | 10 | |
Erythrosine | 10 | |
Indigo carmine | 10 | |
Beta-Carotene | 10 | |
Chlorophyll | 10 | |
Caramel | 5.0 | |
Annatto | 10 | |
Riboflavin | 20 | |
Ponceau 4R | 10 | |
Carmoisine | 10 | |
Synthetic food colour-preparation and mixtures | 10 | |
Brilliant blue FCF | 10 | |
Fast green FCF | 10 | |
Aluminium lake of Sunset Yellow FCF | 10 | |
Sunset yellow dye used in preparation of lake colour | 10 | |
Alumina used in preparation of lake colour | 10 | |
Beta-apo-8’-carotenal | 2.0 | |
Ethylester of Beta-apo-8′-carotenoic acid | 2.0 | |
Titanium dioxide | 2.0 | |
Steviol Glycoside | 1.0 | |
Saccharin Sodium | 10 | |
Aspertame (Aspartyl phenyl alanine methyl ester) | 10 | |
Sucralose | 10 | |
Lactic acid | 2.0 | |
Ascorbic Acid | 2.0 | |
Calcium propionate | 5.0 | |
Sodium metabisulphite | 2.0 | |
Potassium metabisulphite | 2.0 | |
Sodium benzoate | 2.0 | |
Benzoic acid | 2.0 | |
Potassium nitrate | 2.0 | |
Sorbic acid | 2.0 | |
Potassium nitrite | 2.0 | |
Sodium propionate | 5.0 | |
Sulphur dioxide | 5.0 | |
Ammonium hydrogen carbonate | 2.0 | |
Trisodium citrate | 2.0 | |
Fumaric acid | 2.0 | |
L (+) -Tartaric acid | 2.0 | |
Dicalcium phosphate | 4.0 | |
Phosphoric acid | 4.0 | |
Citric acid | 0.5 | |
Malic acid | 2.0 | |
Sodium hydroxide | 2.0 | |
Sodium alginate | 5.0 | |
Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose | 2.0 | |
Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, enzyme hydrolysed | 3.0 | |
Agar | 5.0 | |
Gum Arabic or Acacia gum | 3.0 | |
Tragacanth gum | 2.0 | |
Gum ghatti | 5.0 | |
Calcium alginate | 5.0 | |
Alginic acid | 5.0 | |
Gaur gum | 2.0 | |
Gum karaya | 2.0 | |
Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids | 2.0 | |
Polyglycerol esters of interesterified ricinoleic acid | 2.0 | |
Glycerol esters of Wood rosin | 1.0 | |
Pectin | 2.0 | |
Carrageenan | 5.0 | |
Butylated hydroxyanisole | 2.0 | |
Dodecyl gallate | 2.0 | |
Propyl gallate | 2.0 | |
Octyl gallate | 2.0 | |
Ascorbyl palmitate | 2.0 | |
Sodium ascorbate | 2.0 | |
Monosodium L-glutamate | 1.0 | |
Mineral Oil (Low viscosity) | 1.0 | |
Mineral Oil (High viscosity) | 1.0 | |
Propylene glycol | 2.0 | |
Sorbitol | 1.0 | |
Foods not specified | 2.5 | |
Soft drinks excluding concentrates and Carbonated
Water , expressed in mg/L |
7.0 | |
Juice of orange, grape, apple, tomato, pineapple and
lemon |
5.0 | |
Toddy | 5.0 | |
Carbonated water , expressed in mg/L | ||
Packaged drinking water (other than mineral water)
expressed in mg/L |
1.5 | |
Mineral water , expressed in mg/L | 0.05 | |
Concentrates for soft drinks | 20 | |
2. Copper | Olive oil, Virgin olive oil ,Extra virgin olive oil,
Ordinary virgin olive oil, Refined olive oil, Refined olive pomace oil and Olive pomace oil |
0.1 |
Infant milk substitute and Infant foods | 15 (But not less
than 2.8) |
|
Hard boiled sugar confectionery | 5.0 | |
Cocoa powder | 70 on fat free
substance basis |
|
Yeast and yeast products | 60 on dry matter
basis |
|
Turmeric whole and powder | 5.0 | |
Tea | 150 | |
Pectin-solid | 300 | |
Chicory-dried or roasted, coffee beans,
flavourings/pectin liquid |
30 | |
Colouring matter | 30 on dry colouring
matter basis |
|
Edible gelatin | 30 | |
Brewed Vinegar and Synthetic vinegar | 0.01 | |
Tomato ketchup | 50 on dried total
solids basis |
|
Tomato puree, paste, powder, and cocktails | 100 on dried
tomato solid basis |
|
Pulp and pulp products of any fruit | 5.0 | |
Fresh vegetables | 30 | |
Iron-fortified common salt | 2.0 | |
Caramel | 20 | |
Annatto | 30 | |
Chlorophyll | 30 | |
Ammonium Hydrogen Carbonate | 5.0 | |
Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids | 25 | |
Polyglycerol esters of Interesterified ricinoleic acid | 25 | |
Foods not specified | 30 | |
Soft drinks excluding concentrates and Carbonated
Water , expressed in mg/L |
0.5 | |
Juice of orange, grape, apple, tomato, pineapple and
lemon |
0.2 | |
Carbonated water , expressed in mg/L | 0.25 | |
Packaged drinking water (other than mineral water)
expressed in mg/L |
0.01 | |
Mineral water, expressed in mg/L | 0.01 | |
Edible fats and oils (edible fats and oils not covered
by individual standards) |
0.1 | |
3. Arsenic | Margarine | 0.1 |
Minarine | 0.1 | |
Named Animal fats (lard, rendered pork fat, premier
jus and edible tallow) |
0.1 | |
Olive oil, Virgin olive oil ,Extra virgin olive oil,
Ordinary virgin olive oil, Refined olive oil, Refined olive pomace oil and Olive pomace oil |
0.1 | |
Vegetable Oils, crude (oils of arachis, babasu,
coconut, cotton seed, grape seed, maize, mustard seed, palm kernel, palm, rapeseed, safflower seed, sesame seed, soya bean, and sunflower seed, and palm olein, stearin and superolein) |
0.1 | |
Vegetable Oils, edible (oils of arachis, babasu,
coconut, cottonseed, grape seed, maize, mustard seed, palm kernel, palm, rapeseed, safflower seed, sesame seed, soya bean, and sunflower seed, and palm olein, stearin and superolein) |
0.1 | |
Milk | 0.1 | |
Infant Milk substitute and Infant foods | 0.05 | |
Ice-cream, iced lollies and similar frozen confections | 0.5 | |
Hard-boiled sugar confectionery | 0.1 | |
Chicory-dried or roasted | 4.0 | |
Dehydrated onions, edible gelatin, liquid pectin | 2.0 | |
Dried herbs, finings and clearing agents, solid pectin
all grades, spices |
5.0 | |
Turmeric whole and powder | 0.1 | |
Pulp and pulp products of any fruit | 0.2 | |
Fresh vegetables | 1.1 | |
Brewed vinegar and Synthetic vinegar | 0.1 | |
Fish and Crustaceans | 76 | |
Molluscs | 86 | |
Iron-fortified common salt | 1.0 | |
Potassium iodate | 3.0 | |
Preservatives, anti-oxidants, emulsifying and stabilising agents and synthetic food colours | 3.0 on dry matter basis | |
Food colouring other than synthetic colouring | 5.0 on dry
colouring matter basis |
|
Tartrazine | 3.0 | |
Sunset Yellow | 3.0 | |
Erythrosine | 3.0 | |
Indigo carmine | 3.0 | |
Beta-Carotene | 3.0 | |
Chlorophyll | 3.0 | |
Caramel | 3.0 | |
Annatto | 3.0 | |
Riboflavin | 5.0 | |
Ponceau 4R | 3.0 | |
Carmoisine | 3.0 | |
Synthetic food colour-preparation and mixtures | 3.0 | |
Brilliant blue FCF | 3.0 | |
Fast green FCF | 3.0 | |
Aluminium lakeof Sunset Yellow FCF | 1.0 | |
Sunset yellow dye used in preparation of lake colour | 3.0 | |
Alumina used in preparation of lake colour | 1.0 | |
Beta-apo-8’-carotenal | 3.0 | |
Ethylester of Beta-apo-8′-carotenoic acid | 3.0 | |
Titanium dioxide | 1.0 | |
Foods not specified | 1.1 | |
Saccharin Sodium | 2.0 | |
Aspertame (Aspartyl phenyl alanine methyl ester) | 3.0 | |
Sucralose | 3.0 | |
Steviol Glycoside | 1.0 | |
Sodium benzoate | 3.0 | |
Benzoic acid | 3.0 | |
Potassium nitrate | 3.0 | |
Sorbic acid | 3.0 | |
Potassium nitrite | 3.0 | |
Sodium propionate | 3.0 | |
Sulphur dioxide | 3.0 | |
Ammonium hydrogen carbonate | 0.6 | |
Trisodium citrate | 3.0 | |
Fumaric acid | 3.0 | |
L (+) -Tartaric acid | 3.0 | |
Dicalcium phosphate | 3.0 | |
Phosphoric acid | 2.0 | |
Citric acid | 3.0 | |
Malic acid | 3.0 | |
Sodium alginate | 3.0 | |
Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose | 3.0 | |
Agar | 3.0 | |
Gum Arabic or Acacia gum | 2.0 | |
Tragacanth gum | 3.0 | |
Gum ghatti | 3.0 | |
Calcium alginate | 3.0 | |
Alginic acid | 3.0 | |
Gaur gum | 3.0 | |
Gum karaya | 3.0 | |
Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids | 3.0 | |
Polyglycerol esters of interesterified ricinoleic acid | 3.0 | |
Glycerol esters of Wood rosin | 3.0 | |
Pectin | 5.0 | |
Carrageenan | 3.0 | |
Butylated hydroxyanisole | 3.0 | |
Dodecyl gallate | 3.0 | |
Propyl gallate | 3.0 | |
Octyl gallate | 3.0 | |
Ascorbyl palmitate | 3.0 | |
Sodium ascorbate | 3.0 | |
Monosodium L-glutamate | 2.0 | |
Mineral Oil (Low viscosity) | 1.0 | |
Mineral Oil (High viscosity) | 1.0 | |
Propylene glycol | 3.0 | |
Sorbitol | 3.0 | |
Infant Milk substitute and Infant foods | 5.0 | |
Hard-boiled sugar confectionery | 5.0 | |
Processed and canned food products | 250 | |
Jam, Jellies and Marmalade | 250 | |
Juice of orange, apple, tomato, pineapple and lemon | 250 | |
Pulp and pulp products of any fruit | 250 | |
Canned foods other than beverages | 250 | |
Canned beverages | 150 | |
Canned (citrus fruits, stone fruits, vegetables, fruit cocktail, mangoes, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, tropical fruit salad). | 250 | |
Mango Chutney | 250 | |
Table Olives | 250 | |
Turmeric whole and powder | 0.01 | |
Canned mushrooms | 250 | |
Canned tomatoes | 250 | |
4. Tin | Pickled cucumber | 250 |
Processed tomato concentrates | 250 | |
Canned chestnuts and chestnut puree | 250 | |
Corned beef, Luncheon meat, Cooked ham, Chopped meat, Canned chicken, Canned mutton and Goat meat | 250 | |
Cooked cured chopped meat (for products in tinplate containers) | 250 | |
Cooked cured chopped meat (for products in other
containers) |
50 | |
Cooked cured ham (for products in tinplate containers | 200 | |
Cooked cured ham (for products in other containers) | 50 | |
Cooked cured pork shoulder (for products in tinplate containers) | 200 | |
Cooked cured pork shoulder (for products in other
containers) |
50 | |
Corned beef (for products in tinplate containers) | 200 | |
Corned beef (for products in other containers) | 50 | |
Luncheon meat (for products in tinplate containers) | 200 | |
Luncheon meat (for products in other containers) | 50 | |
Canned fish products | 200 | |
Foods not specified | 250 | |
Packaged Drinking Water (other than mineral water)
expressed in mg/L |
0.003 | |
Natural mineral water, expressed in mg/L | 0.003 | |
Infant Milk substitute and Infant foods | 0.1 | |
Turmeric whole and powder | 0.1 | |
Brassica vegetables | 0.05 | |
Bulb vegetables | 0.05 | |
Fruiting vegetables, cucurbits | 0.05 | |
Fruiting vegetables other than cucurbits (excluding
tomatoes and edible fungi) |
0.05 | |
Leafy vegetables | 0.2 | |
Legume vegetables | 0.1 | |
Potato peeled | 0.1 | |
5. Cadmium | Root and tuber vegetables, excluding potato and
celeriac |
0.1 |
Stalk and stem vegetables | 0.1 | |
Other vegetables | 0.1 | |
Pulses, excluding soybean dry | 0.1 | |
Cereal grains, except buckwheat, canihua and
Quinoa (excluding wheat and rice; and bran and germ |
0.1 | |
Rice, polished | 0.4 | |
Wheat | 0.2 | |
Salt, food grade | 0.5 | |
Fish | 0.3 | |
Crustaceans | 0.5 | |
Cephalopods | 2.0 | |
Bivalve Molluscs | 2.0 | |
Carrageenan | 1.5 | |
Foods not specified | 1.5 | |
Packaged Drinking Water (other than mineral water)
expressed in mg/L |
0.001 | |
Natural mineral water, expressed in mg/L | 0.001 | |
6. Mercury | Fish | 0.5 |
Non-predatory fish, crustaceans, cephalopods,
molluscs |
0.5 | |
Predatory Fish (Tuna, Marlin, Sword Fish,
Elasmobranch) |
1.0 | |
Fresh vegetables | 1.0 | |
Salt, food grade | 0.1 | |
Caramel | 0.1 | |
Aluminium lake of Sunset yellow FCF | 1.0 | |
Alumina used in the preparation of lake colour | 1.0 | |
Fast green FCF | 0.01 | |
Titanium oxide | 1.0 | |
Sodium hydroxide | 1.5 | |
Carrageenan | 1.0 | |
Foods not specified | 1.0 | |
7.Methyl Mercury (Calculated as the element) | All Foods | 0.25 |
8. Chromium | Packaged Drinking Water (other than mineral water)
expressed in mg/L |
0.05 |
Natural mineral water, expressed in mg/L | 0.05 | |
Refined sugar | 0.02 | |
Gelatin | 10 | |
Fresh Vegetables | 1.0 | |
All fishery products | 12 | |
Brilliant Blue FCF | 50 | |
Fast green FCF | 50 | |
Packaged Drinking Water (other than mineral water)
expressed in mg/L |
0.02 | |
Natural mineral water, expressed in mg/L | 0.02 | |
9. Nickel | All hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, interesterified vegetable oils and fats such as vanaspati, table margarine, bakery and industrial margarine, bakery shortening, fat spread and partially hydrogenated margarine, bakery shortening, fat spread and partially hydrogenated soyabean oil. | 1.5 |
Fresh vegetables | 1.0 | |
Sorbitol | 2.0 | |
10. Selenium | Mineral water, expressed in mg/L | 0.05 |
Packaged Drinking Water (other than mineral water)
expressed in mg/L |
0.01 | |
Sodium metabisulphite | 5.0 | |
Potassium metabisulphite | 5.0 | |
Sulphur dioxide | 20 | |
11. Antimony | Fresh vegetables | 1.0 |
Mineral water, expressed in mg/L | 0.005 | |
Packaged Drinking Water (other than mineral water)
expressed in mg/L |
0.005 | |
Titanium dioxide | 2.0 |
“Crop Contaminants and Naturally Occurring Toxic Substances”
The name of the foods and the limits of toxins are proposed to be as given in the table as follows
TABLE
Sr. No | Name of the Contaminant | Article of Food | Limit μg/kg |
1. | Total Aflatoxins | Cereal and cereal products | 15 |
Pulses | 15 | ||
Nuts:
Nuts for further processing Ready to eat |
15 15 |
||
Dried figs | 10 | ||
Oilseeds or oil:
Oilseeds for further processing Ready to eat |
15 15 |
||
Spices | 30 | ||
Arecanut or Betelnut | 15 | ||
Food product containing any of the above mentioned food articles | 20 | ||
2. | Aflatoxin B1 | Cereal and cereal products | 10 |
Pulses | 10 | ||
Nuts:
Nuts for further processing Ready to eat |
10 10 |
||
Dried figs | 10 | ||
Oilseeds or oil:
Oilseeds for further processing Ready to eat |
10 10 |
||
Spices | 15 | ||
Arecanut or Betelnut | 10 | ||
The food product containing any of the above-mentioned food articles | 10 | ||
3. | Aflatoxin M1 | Milk (liquid) | 0.5 |
Skimmed milk powder | 6 | ||
Whole milk powder | 4 | ||
4. | Ochratoxin A | Wheat, rye, barley | 20 |
Apple juice | 50 | ||
5. | Patulin | Apple juice used as an ingredient in other beverages | 50 |
6. | Deoxynivalenol | Wheat | 1000 |
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