Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) First Amendment Regulations, 2024

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a notification on October 17, 2024, amending the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins, and Residues) Regulations, 2011. This amendment introduces new limits for specific contaminants in food products such as wheat, barley, rye, and coffee, effective from April 1, 2025. For instance, the maximum allowable Ochratoxin A in wheat and barley is now set at 5 µg/kg, while Deoxynivalenol in wheat and barley is limited to 1000 µg/kg. Additionally, the amendment prohibits the use of certain antimicrobials and veterinary drugs in the production of meat, milk, poultry, and aquaculture, establishing residue limits for these substances. The use of antibiotics in honey production is also regulated, with stringent residue limits for several antibiotics, including Chloramphenicol and Tetracyclines. These regulations aim to ensure safer food products for consumers by setting stricter residue and contaminant limits across a variety of food items.

FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 17th October, 2024

F. No. 01-SP (PAR)-Notification-Pesticides/Stds-FSSAI/2017.—Whereas the draft of certain regulations, further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, was published as required under sub-section (1) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006) vide notification of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India number F.No.01-SP (PAR)-Notification-Pesticides /Stds-FSSAI/2017, dated the 20th August, 2020 in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part III, Section 4, inviting objections or suggestions from the persons likely to be affected thereby, before the expiry of the period of thirty 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 Official Gazette were made available to the public on the 26th August, 2020;

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 (i) and (j) of sub- section (2) of section 92 read with section 20 and section 21 of the said Act, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India hereby makes the following regulations further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, namely:-

1. (1) These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) First Amendment Regulations, 2024.

(2) They shall come into force on 1^st April, 2025.

2. In the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011,-

(a) in regulation 2.2 relating to crop contaminants and naturally occurring toxic substances, in sub-regulation 2.2.1, in clause 1, in the Table.-

(i) against serial number 4 relating to Ochratoxin A, for the entries in columns (3) and (4), the following shall be substituted, namely: –

(2) against serial number 6 relating to Deoxynivalenol, for the entries in columns (3) and (4), the following shall be substituted, namely: –

(b) in regulation2.3, in sub-regulation 2.3.2, for clauses (2) to (4), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-“(2) Following antimicrobials and other drugs used in veterinary practices are not permitted to be used at any stage of production of meat and meat products, milk and milk products, poultry and eggs, aquaculture and its products; and the Extraneous Maximum Residue Limits (EMRL) of 0.001 mg/kg shall be applicable except for Chloramphenicol for which it shall be 0.0003 mg/kg (0.3 ug/kg).

1. Carbadox

2. Chloramphenicol

3. Chlorpromazine

4. Clenbuterol

5. Colistin

6. Crystal Violet (Sum of Crystal Violet and Leucocrystal Violet)

7. Glycopeptides

8. Malachite Green (Sum of Malachite green and Leucomalachite green)

9. Nitrofurans and its metabolites furazolidone (AOZ), nitrofurazone (SEM), furaltadone (AMOZ) and nitrofurantoin (AHD)

10. Streptomycin and its metabolite dihydrostreptomycin

11. Nitroimidazoles including-

(A) Dimetridazole (DMZ)

(B) Ronidazole (RNZ) and its metabolite 2-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-3 nitroimidazole(HMMNI)

(C) Ipronidazole (IPZ) and its metabolite Hydroxyipronidazole

(D) Metronidazole (MNZ) and its metabolite 3 hydroxy metronidazole

12. Steroids

13. Stilbenes

14. Sulphamethoxazole

(3) The use of any antibiotic is not permitted during the honey production, but, in order to test the misuse of antibiotics, the antibiotics specified in column (2) shall not exceed the Minimum Required Performance Limit (MRPL) specified in column (3) of the Table below, namely: –

Table

(4) The antimicrobials and other drugs used in veterinary practices specified in column (2) shall not exceed the tolerance limit specified in column (4) for the article of food in column (3) of the Table below, namely:-

Table

G. KAMALA VARDHANA RAO, Chief Executive Officer
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./600/2024-25]

Note. – The Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary part III, section 4 vide notification number F. No. 2-15015/30/2010, dated the 1st August, 2011 and last amended vide notification F. No. Stds/SP/(Contaminants)/Notification-1/FSSAI-2018, dated the 7th August, 2020.