indian food standards

What They Are and Why They Matter

Imagine you grab a packet of chips or milk from the store. How do you know it’s safe?
You don’t test it in a lab, right? You just trust that the food is okay.

That “trust” comes from Indian food standards : rules that make sure food in India is clean, safe, and not full of shady stuff.

These standards say things like:

what ingredients are allowed
what limits are set for chemicals
how food must be packed
what must be written on labels

Basically, Indian food standards are the rulebook that keeps your stomach safe.

Background: India Had Many Old Food Laws Earlier

Before 2006, India had multiple food rules : PFA Act, Fruit Products Order, Meat Products Order, etc.
It was messy. Different rules for different food, confusion everywhere.

So in 2006, the government said:
“Enough of this chaos. Let’s make ONE big law.”

That’s how the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) 2006 was born.

One law. One authority. One system.

FSSAI: The Authority Behind Indian Food Standards

You’ve seen the FSSAI logo on food packets, right?

FSSAI = Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
They are the “food police” of the country.

They:

Set food standards
Check food quality
Give licenses to food businesses
Do inspections and testing
Pull up companies if they mess up

Basically, FSSAI decides what “safe food” means in India.

Types of Indian Food Standards: Horizontal vs Vertical

This sounds boring, but it’s actually simple.

Horizontal standards = rules that apply to all foods
Examples:

Labelling rules
Additives allowed
Packaging rules
Contaminant limits

Think of this as “common rules for everyone”.

Vertical standards = rules for specific food types
Examples:

Milk standards
Oil standards
Wheat flour standards
Meat & fish standards

These are like subject-specific rules.

Main FSSAI Regulations You Should Know

The rulebook is divided into multiple regulations.
Some important ones:

Food Product Standards & Additives
Labelling & Display
Contaminants, Toxins & Residues
Packaging Regulations
Organic Foods Regulation
Import Regulations
Health Supplements & Nutraceuticals

Basically, every type of food has a standard.

Licenses & Registration: What Food Businesses Need

Any food business – from a chai stall to a giant factory – must get:

FSSAI Registration (small shops)
FSSAI License (bigger businesses)

Without this, selling food is illegal.

The license tells consumers:
“this place is authorised and follows rules.”

Food Labelling: How You Can Check Safety

Here’s a simple hack to know if a food pack is trustworthy:

Look for:

FSSAI license number
Veg/Non-veg symbol
Ingredient list
Expiry date
Allergen warnings
Nutritional info

If any of these are missing : that’s a red flag.

Imported Food Rules

Think international noodles, chocolates, chips, sauces.

Imported food must follow Indian standards, not their home country’s rules.

FSSAI checks imported foods at the port:

Testing
Lab reports
Certifications

Only safe products enter.

Food Testing & Labs

If a sample looks suspicious, FSSAI sends it to labs to test for:

chemicals
pesticides
bacteria
adulteration

If it fails : product gets banned or recalled.

Common Food Safety Problems FSSAI Tracks

Some common risks:

Pesticide residues
Chemical contamination
Spoilage
Artificial colours / additives
Adulteration (like mixing water in milk)

Indian standards set strict limits for these.

Challenges India Still Faces

Let’s be real : things aren’t perfect.

Some issues:

Too many small food sellers with low awareness
Adulteration in milk, oil, spices
Weak enforcement in some states
Delay in lab testing
Poor hygiene in street food

FSSAI is improving things, but the gap is big.

New & Upcoming Changes

FSSAI keeps updating standards.
Some recent areas:

Organic food rules
Vegan food standards
Food recall procedures
Fortified food rules
Front-of-pack labels (coming soon)

India’s food law is getting stricter every year.