The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a draft notification on February 17, 2025, proposing amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011. The key changes include revised provisions for test reporting, updated methods of food analysis, and defined timelines for regulatory and import sample testing. The amendment mandates that Food Analysts issue reports within 14 days, with exceptions requiring justification. It also allows the adoption of validated international analysis methods when necessary. The public has 60 days to submit objections or suggestions before final consideration.
FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 17th February, 2025
F. No. QA/11023/31/2022-QA-FSSAI(2).—The following draft of certain regulations further to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011, which the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India proposes to make with the previous approval of the Central Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006) is hereby published as required by sub-section (1) of section 92 of the said Act for the information of all persons likely to be affected thereby and notice is hereby given that the said draft regulations shall be taken into consideration after the expiry of a period of sixty days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette in which this notification is published are made available to the public.
Objections or suggestions, if any, may be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi – 110002 or sent on email at regulation@fssai.gov.in.
Objections or suggestions, which may be received from any person with respect to the said draft regulations before the expiry of the period so specified, shall be considered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Draft Regulations
1. These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Amendment Regulations, 2025.
2. In the Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011,-
(1) 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 Form as prescribed under FSS Rules, 2011.”;
b. in clause 4, for the proviso starting with “Provided further that” and ending with “the Food Analyst”, the following 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.”;
(2) after regulation 2.4, the following regulation 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.”;
(3) after regulation 2.5, the following regulation shall be inserted, namely: –
“6 Timeline for Analysis-
2.6.1 Regulatory samples:- (1) The Food Analyst shall issue the signed report within 14 days of the receipt of the article of food for analysis as per the format specified under FSS Rules, 2011.
Provided that in case the sample cannot be analysed within 14 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 case of appeal, referral laboratory shall issue the report signed by the Director within 14 days of receipt of sample as per the format specified under FSS Rules, 2011.
Provided that in case the sample cannot be analysed within 14 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 FSS (Import) Regulations, 2017 within five days from the date of receipt of the sample.
Provided that in 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.”;
(4) in regulation, the FORM A and FORM B shall be omitted.
G. KAMALA VARDHANA RAO, Chief Executive Officer
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./990/2024-25]
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 1st August, 2011 and last amended vide notification number F. No. 11023/24/2017-QA, dated 15th October, 2020.
