FSSAI has issued a draft notification, dated 26 November 2018 for the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) ………Amendment Regulations, 2018, related to certain milk and milk products. The FSSAI has also invited comments and suggestions from stakeholders which are to reach the FSSAI office by 10 January 2019.
The FSSAI has proposed amendments in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, under DAIRY PRODUCTS AND ANALOGUES (2.1) under the category related to Standards for Milk (2.1.2) for Essential Composition and Quality Factors where there has been a change in the composition table related to “Goat or Sheep Milk” which will be as follows.
| S. N | Class of Milk | Locality or State or Area | Minimum Milk Fat (percent,m/m) | Minimum Milk Solids- not-Fat (SNF) (percent,m/m) |
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) |
| 3 | Goat or sheep milk | All India | 3.0 | 9.0 |
Under Note(s)” below the composition table, the following shall be inserted
“(iii) Total sodium content in the milk shall not be more than 55 mg/ 100 gm.”
Under the category ‘Standards for Milk Powders and Cream Powder’ (2.1.10) under the composition table, the following Note will be inserted
Note – Total sodium content in the milk-powder shall not be more than 650 mg/ 100 gm.”
Under the category ‘Standard for Chhana and Paneer’ (2.1.16), the composition table has been replaced with the following
| Parameter | Chhana or Paneer | Medium fat Chhana or Paneer | Low fat Chhana or Paneer |
| Moisture, maximum, %,(m/m) | 65.0 (for Chhana) 60.0 (for Paneer) | 65.0 (for Chhana) 60.0 (for Paneer) | 65.0 (for Chhana) 60.0 (for Paneer) |
| Milkfat, %, (m/m), dry matter basis | 50.0 (minimum) | More than 15.0 and less than 50.0 | 15.0 (maximum)”; |
For the same category under ‘Labelling’ changes made are as follows
- The name of the product shall be ‘Chhana’, ‘Paneer’, ‘Low Fat Chhana’ or Low Fat Paneer’, or ‘Medium Fat Chhana’ or ‘Medium Fat Paneer’ depending upon the composition as given above in the composition table
- ‘(b) ‘Low Fat Chhana’/‘Medium Fat Chhana’ and ‘Low Fat Paneer’/‘Medium Fat Paneer’ shall be sold in the sealed package only and shall bear the following label declarations depending upon the respective product composition:
“LOW FAT PANEER or LOW FAT CHHANA”
Or
“MEDIUM FAT PANEER or MEDIUM FAT CHHANA”’;
- existing sub-item “(c)” shall be renumbered as “(d)” and the following sub-item shall be inserted after (b)
- ‘(c) Every package of Medium Fat Channa and Medium Fat Paneer shall bear the following label, namely: ̶
“Contains ………………. % Milk Fat”’.
Under Standard for Cheese and Cheese Products (2.1.17), FSSAI has proposed to add more categories which are as follows
Whey Cheeses are solid, semi-solid, or soft products which are principally obtained through either of the following processes:
- the concentration of whey and the moulding of the concentrated product
- the coagulation of whey by heat with or without the addition of acid
In each case, the whey may be pre-concentrated prior to the further concentration of whey or coagulation of the whey proteins. The process may also include the addition of milk, cream, or other raw materials of milk origin before or after concentration or coagulation. The ratio of whey protein to casein in the product obtained through the coagulation of whey shall be distinctly higher than that of milk. The product obtained through the coagulation of whey may either be ripened or un-ripened.
Cheeses in Brine are semi-hard to soft-ripened cheeses. The body has a white to yellowish colour and a compact texture suitable for slicing, with none to a few mechanical openings. The cheeses have no actual rind and have been ripened and preserved in brine until delivered to, or pre-packed for, the consumer. Certain individual cheeses in brine contain specific herbs and spices as part of their identity.
In the Table the following cheese products will be included
| Product | Moisture Maximum, % m/m | Milk Fat Minimum, % (dry basis) | Lactose, Maximum, % (m/m) | |
| v) | Whey cheese | |||
| a. | Creamed whey cheese | – | 33 | – |
| b. | Whey cheese | – | ** | – |
| c. | Skimmed whey cheese | – | *** | – |
| vi) | Cheese in brine | |||
| a. | Soft cheese in brine | – | 40 | – |
| b. | Semi-hard cheese in brine | – | 40 | – |
“** Milkfat in whey cheese shall be minimum 10% and less than 33% on dry basis.
*** Milk fat in skimmed whey cheese shall be less than 10% on dry”
Under Labelling changes made are as follows
(a) The name of the food product shall be ‘cheese’, ‘whey cheese’ or ‘cheese in brine’, as applicable. However, the word ‘cheese’, ‘whey cheese’ or ‘cheese in brine’ may be omitted in the designation of an individual cheese variety.