FSSAI Revises Contaminant Limits in Pulses, Oils & Seafood from 1st December 2026

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India notified the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations, 2026, which will come into force from 1 December 2026. The amendments revise contaminant and residue standards under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011. Changes relating to metal contaminants include extending standards for lead and cadmium to cover “pulse flours” along with pulses, and prescribing a specific compliance mechanism for inorganic arsenic in fish oils. Amendments concerning crop contaminants revise entries relating to aflatoxins in oils and oilseeds and substitute standards for saffrole in beverages and foods containing mace or nutmeg kernel. The notification also omits clause (1) of regulation 2.3.2 and introduces new residue limits for Trimethoprim and Oxolinic acid in seafood products, including shrimps, prawns, fish, and fishery products. The notification stated that no objections or suggestions were received from the public after publication of the draft regulations in September 2024.

FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS AUTHORITY OF INDIA

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 14th May, 2026

No. 01/SP-02/S&S/Notification Contaminants/2021-22.- Whereas a draft of Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations, 2024 were 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-02/S&S/Notification Contaminants/2021-22, dated the 18th September, 2024 in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part III, Section 4, inviting objections and suggestions from the persons likely to be affected thereby, before the expiry of the 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 Official Gazette were made available to the public on the 25th September 2024;

And whereas, no objections and suggestions were received from the public in respect of the said draft regulations by the Food safety and Standards Authority of India;

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (i) and (j) of sub- section (2) of section 92 read with sections 20 and 21 of the said Act, 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 (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, namely:-

1. (1) These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations, 2026.

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

2. In the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 (hereinafter referred to as the said regulations), in regulation 2.1 relating to “METAL CONTAMINANTS”, in sub-regulation 2.1.1, in clause 2,-

(a) in the Table,

(i) against serial number 1 relating to ‘Lead’, in column (2), for the word “Pulses”, the words “Pulses and Pulse flours” shall be substituted;

(ii) against serial number 3 relating to ‘Arsenic’, in column (2), for the words and brackets “Edible fats and oils (edible fats and oils not covered by individual standards)”, the words, brackets and symbol “Edible fats and oils (edible fats and oils not covered by individual standards)* ” shall be substituted;

(iii) against serial number 5 relating to ‘Cadmium’, in column (2), for the words “Pulses, excluding soybean dry”, the words “Pulses and Pulse flours, excluding soybean dry” shall be substituted;

(b) after the Table, the following shall be inserted, namely:-

“*Note.- For fish oils, the Maximum level (ML) of inorganic arsenic (As-in) that is 0.1 mg/kg will be applicable. While testing, if the total arsenic concentration is below the ML for inorganic arsenic, no further testing is required, and the sample is determined to be compliant with the ML. If the total arsenic concentration is above the ML for inorganic arsenic, follow-up testing shall be done to determine if the inorganic arsenic concentration is above the ML.”.

3. In the said regulations, in regulation 2.2 relating to “Crop contaminants and naturally occurring toxic substances”, in sub-regulation 2.2.1,-

(a) in clause 1, in the Table,-

(i) against serial number 1 relating to ‘Total Aflatoxins’, in column (3), for the words “Oilseeds or oil: Oilseeds for further processing Ready to eat”, the following shall be substituted, namely:-

(ii) against serial number 2 relating to ‘Aflatoxin B1’, in column (3), for the words “Oilseeds or oil: Oilseeds for further processing Ready to eat”, the following shall be substituted, namely:-

(b) in clause 2, in the Table, for serial number 4 and entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

4. In the said regulations, in regulation 2.3, in sub-regulation 2.3.2,-

(i) clause (1) shall be omitted;

(ii) in clause (4),in the Table, –

(a) against serial number 45 relating to ‘Trimethoprim’, in columns (3) and (4), after the existing entries, the following entries shall be inserted, namely: –

(b) after serial number 49 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be inserted, namely: –

RAJIT PUNHANI, Chief Executive Officer
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./89/2026-27]

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 1^st August, 2011 and last amended vide notification number F.No. 01-SP (PAR)-Notification-Pesticides/Stds-FSSAI/2017, dated the 17th October 2024.