New Delhi: From besan and edible oils to prawns and cold-pressed seed oils, India’s food regulator is tightening safety standards across a wide range of foods consumed daily in households amid growing concerns over contamination, adulteration and chemical residues.The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued revised and draft regulations covering heavy metals, toxins, antibiotic residues and quality standards for both commonly used foods and emerging edible products.Under revised regulations that will come into force from December 1, 2026, FSSAI has expanded contamination standards related to lead and cadmium to include pulse flours such as besan and packaged mixes in addition to pulses.The regulator has also updated limits for aflatoxins — toxic substances produced by certain fungi — in oils, oilseeds and ready-to-eat oilseed products. It has additionally revised testing norms for arsenic in fish oils and updated standards for saffrole, a naturally occurring substance found in foods and beverages containing nutmeg and mace.In another significant change, FSSAI has introduced residue limits for antibiotics such as trimethoprim and oxolinic acid in seafood products including shrimps, prawns and fishery products, amid growing global concern over antimicrobial residues entering the food chain.AIIMS Delhi dietician Monita Gehlot said stricter contamination standards were important because continuous exposure to heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and cadmium could increase the risk of kidney damage, neurological disorders and cancer over time. She said expanding monitoring from pulses to pulse flours was significant as products such as besan are now widely used in packaged snacks, ready-to-cook foods and household cooking.Gehlot also warned that antibiotic residues in seafood may contribute to antimicrobial resistance, allergies and reduced effectiveness of life-saving medicines if exposure continues over long periods.In a separate draft notification, FSSAI has proposed quality and safety standards for lesser-used edible oils made from chilli, tomato, muskmelon and okra seeds as demand rises for cold-pressed oils, seed-based snacks and plant-based nutrition products.The proposed norms require these oils to remain free from adulteration, harmful impurities, rancidity and mineral oil contamination, while also prescribing limits for moisture, acidity and metal content.According to experts, the popularity of cold-pressed and specialty seed oils has increased rapidly in urban India, but regulation has not kept pace with market growth, raising concerns over adulteration, misleading labelling and inconsistent nutritional quality.The draft rules also cover edible seeds such as watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame and flaxseed sold in raw, roasted or salted forms, requiring them to be clean and free from insects, fungus and visible contamination before sale.FSSAI has invited public comments on the draft regulations for 60 days before finalisation.
