FSSAI Amends Food Import Regulations for Analysis Methods

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued the Food Safety and Standards (Import) First Amendment Regulations, 2025, which will become effective on May 1, 2026. These amendments revise Regulation 10 of the 2017 Import Regulations concerning the analysis of imported food samples. The first change specifies that while FSSAI’s manuals of analytical methods should be used primarily, if a specific method is unavailable, Food Laboratories are now permitted to adopt any validated method prescribed by internationally recognized regulatory agencies, including AOAC, ISO, BIS, and Codex Alimentarius. The second amendment standardizes the time limit for reporting analysis results: the notified or referral laboratory must provide the laboratory analysis report, signed by the Food Analyst or Director, in FORM – 2 within five days from the date the sample is received. This notification follows a draft published in October 2024, after considering public objections and suggestions.

FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 27th October, 2025

F. No. QA/11023/31/2022-QA-FSSAI(1).—Whereas a draft of the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Amendment Regulations, 2024, were published vide notification of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India number F. No. QA/11023/31/2022-QA-FSSAI(1), dated the 3rd October, 2024, in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part III, Section 4 as required under sub- section (1) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006), inviting objections and suggestions from persons likely to be affected thereby, within a period of sixty days from the date on which the copies of the Official Gazette containing the said notification were made available to the public;

And whereas, the copies of the said Gazette were made available to the public on the 7th October, 2024;

And whereas the objections and suggestions received from the public in respect of the said draft regulations have been considered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (e) of sub- section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006), the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, with the previous approval of the Central Government hereby makes the following regulations, further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017, namely: –

1. (1) These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Import) First Amendment Regulations, 2025.

(2) They shall come into force on 1^st May, 2026.

2. In the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017, in regulation 10, –

(i) in sub-regulation (4), for clause (b), the following clause shall be substituted, namely: –

“(b) The manuals of the method of analysis, as amended or adopted by the Authority from time to time, shall be used for analysing the samples of food articles. However, in case the method for analysing any parameter is not available in these manuals, the Food Laboratory may adopt a validated method of analysis prescribed by AOAC/ ISO / Pearson’s/ Jacob/ IUPAC/ Food Chemicals CODEX/ BIS/ Codex Alimentarius/ Woodmen/ Winton-Winton/ Joslyn or any other internationally recognized regulatory agencies.”;

(ii) for sub-regulation (5), the following sub-regulation shall be substituted, namely:-

“(5) The notified laboratory or referral laboratory shall provide the laboratory analysis report duly signed by its Food Analyst or Director, as the case may be, in FORM – 2 within five days from the date of receipt of the sample.”.

RAJIT PUNHANI, Chief Executive Officer
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./424/2025-26]

Note: The principal regulations were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary Part III, Section 4, vide notification number F. No. 1/2008/Import safety/FSSAI, dated 9^th March, 2017 and subsequently amended vide notification numbers: –

1. F. No. REG/11/25/Import amendment/FSSAI-2017, dated 7^thFebruary, 2018;

2. F. No. 1-1275/FSSAI/Import/2015, dated the 20^thOctober, 2020;

3.  No. 4067/MOC-Trade/Reg-FSSAI/2017(part-1), dated the 3rd November, 2021.; and

4. F. No. 1605/ FSSAI/Import/2016(pt-2), dated 14thFebruary, 2022.