FSSAI Proposes Special Dietary Food Regulations

FSSAI is a key agency in the country that was established to check the quality of food for human consumption. The Agency recently suggested a draught amendment to the 2017 Regulations on Food Safety and Food Additives. This chapter is about the specific needs of dietary foods.

It will be finalized once the Agency has received recommendations and complaints regarding these drafted regulations. The Agency must receive these complaints or ideas within one month of the notice date, which in this case was April 18, 2017.

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The draught regulation applies to spices, conditions, salt, and other related products. The revisions are incorporated into the Food Safety and Food Standards Regulations (2011). The changes are included in the 2011 Regulations. It includes –

1. After Clause 5, a supplementary clause 6 referring to the composition of salt substitutes must be inserted. The Agency has established specified guidelines for the composition of salt components.
2. Salt substitutes may contain a combination of or independently, calcium or colloidal silica in amounts not exceeding 1% M/M of the salt substitute mixture. Furthermore, appropriate and acceptable nutritional foods must be employed as a diluent in cereal flour and sugar.
3. The iodine compounds added to salt replacements must comply with the Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011.
4. The sodium level of the blend comprising salt substitute should not exceed 100 g/120 mg.
5. In addition to the 2011 Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulations, special labeling rules for salt alternatives must be confirmed. “Low Sodium Dietetic Salt” or “Low Sodium Salt Substitute” Cations in a salt substitute mixture (potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, choline, and ammonium/100 g (m/m).

The information listed above must be mentioned on the label.

According to the proposed regulations under Regulation 2.11, the changes to the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. It is related to other food components and products and should be added following sub regulations 2.11.8 and 2.11.9.

Special Dietary Foods with Low Sodium Content

• Low sodium dietary foods have special dietary properties. This is due to the restriction, reduction, or removal of sodium salt in accordance with the necessary criteria and composition as applied to such food, which excludes salt alternatives.
• It is critical that low sodium foods adhere to the Agency’s precise guidelines on the maximum salt content provided.
• Special dietary foods with low sodium content must be processed without the addition of sodium salts.
• The increased salt content must not exceed 50% of the ingested corresponding normal product.
• The salt content added must not exceed 100 g/120 mg of the ingested final product.
• Salt alternatives may be added to a special dietary product with a low salt level only if they are limited by GMP or good manufacturing practice, as defined by the Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011.
• Special dietary foods with low sodium content must adhere to strict labeling requirements outlined in the Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011.

  Label Information to be displayed

1. Whether it’s very low sodium or regular sodium,
2. Along with the sodium per serving regularly ingested, the sodium content added must be to the nearest multiple of 5 mg per 100 g.
3. The average protein, carbohydrate, and fat content in a 100-gram product is ingested on a regular basis, as well as the kilojoule or kilocalorie value.
4. Clause 6 of 2.9.30 self-regulation has included the salt substitute’s composition to the list of salt replacements.
5. Potassium total quantity (as Mg cation/100g of usually ingested food) when the salt substitute composition contains partially or totally potassium salt.
6. The salt equivalent in terms of NaCl or Sodium Chloride content per serving and total NaCl quantity in the packet.
7. Any particular food storage requirements.

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What effect would the draught regulations have on Special Dietary Food?

The proposal of draught regulations is based on the two sub-regulations listed below-

1. Composition of Salt Substitutes
2. Special Dietary Food with a Low Sodium Content

FSSAI has attempted to underline the agency’s goal of providing high and improved quality salt products, which are guaranteed to be supported and appreciated by health-conscious people, using these proposed regulations. It is important to highlight that these new salt substitutes will not only be healthier, but also safer to consume since they will directly assist patients suffering from high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, and heart disease.

FSSAI and its Role

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was founded to promote consumer safety and satisfaction while also maintaining food quality standards. The Agency is crucial in the development of food control measures. The Agency implements a number of procedures to remove dangerous and poisonous pollutants.

As a result, the user who uses these items is certain of their safety and quality. The product’s packaging also says a lot about the cuisine and its quality. Consumers are educated about food safety. These strategies must be used by food manufacturers since they will aid in the control of food degradation. The level of faith that a food business owner may entrust in the minds of consumers is its most valuable asset. They are able to ensure this with FSSAI at the helm. The agency creates draught regulations on a regular basis to ensure and preserve food quality and safety.