FSSAI Simplifies Food Safety Rules: BIS, AGMARK Certifications No Longer Mandatory

The government has approved several revisions to food safety and standard legislation, requiring only one certification from the food regulator FSSAI for food goods. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) would release a draft notification in this respect and solicit feedback from stakeholders before finalising the amendments.

If these revisions are approved, food goods will no longer require BIS and AGMARK certifications.

According to a statement from the Health Ministry, the FSSAI adopted many revisions to simplify food safety and standards laws during its 43rd meeting.

The conference was chaired by Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture stated that “only FSSAI certification would be mandatory for food products following finalisation of the amendments.”

The move would make conducting business easier by introducing the notion of ‘One Nation, One Commodity, One Regulator’.

“Various amendments across different food safety and standards regulations were approved in the meeting to do away with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or AGMARK certification for food products,” the statement said.

After the revisions are approved, food enterprises will no longer have to apply to multiple bodies for necessary certification, with only FSSAI certification being mandatory for food goods.

Other approvals include standards for mead (honey wine) and alcoholic ready-to-drink (RTD) drinks, as well as revisions to milk fat product standards and Haleem requirements.

The authority also approved a complete manual of analytical methodologies to ensure that food items meet regulatory requirements. The adjustments to several Food Safety and Standards Regulations were adopted in the meeting for a draft notification inviting stakeholder feedback before finalisation.

These rules included a change of Milk Fat Product Standards, as a result of which the fatty acid criteria for Ghee will also apply to other milk fat products.

In addition to meat product requirements, the authority will establish ‘Haleem’ standards. Haleem is a meal created with meat, pulses, grains, and other components that do not presently have any established criteria.