New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is tightening safety standards across a wide array of daily household foods, such as besan, edible oils, prawns, and cold-pressed seed oils. This initiative is in response to increasing concerns regarding contamination, adulteration, and chemical residues.
FSSAI has put forward revised and draft regulations focusing on heavy metals, toxins, antibiotic residues, and quality standards for both commonly consumed items and emerging edible products. These revised regulations, set to take effect on December 1, 2026, will extend contamination standards for lead and cadmium to include pulse flours, such as besan, as well as packaged mixes, in addition to pulses.
The authority has also updated permissible limits for aflatoxins—toxins produced by certain fungi—in oils, oilseeds, and ready-to-eat oilseed products. Additionally, testing norms for arsenic levels in fish oils have been revised, and standards for safrole, a naturally occurring compound found in nutmeg and mace, have been updated.
In a notable change, FSSAI has introduced new residue limits for antibiotics including trimethoprim and oxolinic acid in seafood products, encompassing shrimps, prawns, and other fishery items. This measure comes amid rising global concerns about antimicrobial residues in the food supply chain.
Monita Gehlot, a dietitian at AIIMS Delhi, emphasized the importance of stricter contamination standards due to the long-term health risks associated with heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium, including kidney damage, neurological disorders, and cancer. She highlighted the significance of expanding monitoring from pulses to pulse flours as products like besan are commonly used in packaged snacks, ready-to-cook foods, and household cooking.
Gehlot raised concerns over antibiotic residues in seafood, noting that prolonged exposure may lead to antimicrobial resistance, allergies, and decreased effectiveness of vital medications.
In a separate draft notification, FSSAI has proposed quality and safety standards for less common edible oils derived from seeds of chili, tomato, muskmelon, and okra, in response to the growing demand for cold-pressed oils, seed-based snacks, and plant-based nutrition products. The proposed standards require these oils to be free from adulterants, harmful impurities, rancidity, and mineral oil contamination, while also establishing limits on moisture, acidity, and metal content.
Experts note that the rapid rise in popularity of cold-pressed and specialty seed oils in urban India has outpaced regulatory measures, raising concerns about adulteration, misleading labeling, and inconsistent nutritional quality.
The draft regulations also encompass edible seeds such as watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, and flaxseed—that are sold in raw, roasted, or salted forms—mandating that they be clean and free from insects, fungus, and visible contamination prior to sale.
FSSAI has invited public comments on these draft regulations for a 60-day period before finalization.
