Summary: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), with the previous approval of the Central Government, has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Amendment Regulations, 2026, further amending the Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011. The amendment regulations will come into force on 1st April, 2027. The notification substitutes clause 2 of sub-regulation 2.3.1 to provide that, after testing or analysis, the certificate signed by the Director of the Referral Food Laboratory or the report signed by the Food Analyst shall be supplied forthwith to the sender in Forms XI or VII A, respectively, as specified under the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011. It also substitutes the second proviso to clause 4 concerning the quantity drawn in cases of unspecified products, providing that such quantity shall be as per guidelines issued by the Food Authority from time to time. New regulation 2.5 prescribes the use of analysis-method manuals amended or adopted by the Authority, while permitting validated methods prescribed by specified national and internationally recognised agencies where a method is unavailable in those manuals. New regulation 2.6 establishes timelines for analysis: Food Analysts must issue reports for regulatory samples within fourteen days, with specified reporting where additional time is required; referral laboratories must similarly issue appeal reports within fourteen days. For imports, notified or referral laboratories must provide analysis reports within five days of sample receipt, subject to written reasons where testing cannot be completed within the specified period. Forms A and B under the principal regulations are also omitted.
FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 14th September, 2026
F. No. QA/11023/31/2022-QA-FSSAI(2).— Whereas a draft of certain regulations further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011, was published vide notification of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India number F. No. QA/11023/31/2022-QA-FSSAI(2), dated the 17th February, 2025, 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 20th February, 2025;
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 (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011, namely: –
1. (1) These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Amendment Regulations, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force on 1st April, 2027.
2. In the Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011,-
(i) in regulation 2.3, in sub-regulation 2.3.1, –
(a) for clause 2, the following shall be substituted, namely: –
“2. After test or analysis, the certificate thereof duly signed by the Director of the Referral Food Laboratory or the report signed by the Food Analyst shall be supplied forthwith to the sender in Forms XI or VII A respectively as specified under the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011.”;
(b) in clause 4, for the second proviso, the following proviso shall be substituted, namely: –
“Provided further that in case of the unspecified products, the quantity drawn shall be as per the guidelines issued by Food Authority from time to time.”;
(ii) after regulation 2.4, the following regulations shall be inserted, namely: –
“2.5 Method of Analysis
2.5.1 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.
2.6 Timeline for Analysis
2.6.1 Regulatory samples:- (1) The Food Analyst shall issue the signed report within fourteen days of the receipt of the article of food for analysis as per the format specified under the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011:
Provided that in the case the sample cannot be analysed within fourteen days of its receipt, the Food Analyst shall inform the Designated Officer and the Commissioner of Food Safety giving reasons and specifying the time to be taken for analysis.
(2) In the case of appeal, referral laboratory shall issue the report signed by the Director within fourteen days of receipt of sample as per the format specified under the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011:
Provided that in the case the sample cannot be analysed within fourteen days of its receipt, the referral laboratory shall inform the Designated Officer and the Commissioner of Food Safety giving reasons and specifying the time to be taken for analysis.
2.6.2 Import: Notified laboratory or referral laboratory as the case may be, shall provide the laboratory analysis report as per the format specified under the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017 within five days from the date of receipt of the sample:
Provided that in the case the sample cannot be tested by the laboratory within the specified time it shall state the reasons for the same in writing to the Authorised Officer.”;
(iii) in the said regulation, the FORMS A and B shall be omitted.
RAJIT PUNHANI, Chief Executive Officer
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./327/2026-27]
Note: The principal regulations 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 number F. No. 11023/24/2017-QA, dated the 15th October, 2020.
