The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (“FSSAI”) on July 17, 2018 issues a notice calling for suggestions, views and comments from the stakeholders on the draft Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2018 (“Draft Amendment”). The Draft Amendment, proposes to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 (“Principal Regulations”).
The Draft Amendment deals with the “Revision of Standards of Synthetic syrup and Sharbats”.
The suggestions / comments can be sent to the following address, in the attached format within September 15, 2018.
The Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, 03rd Floor, Food and Drug Administration Bhawan, Kotla road, New Delhi – 110002
or email to regulation@fssai.gov.
Key Highlights of the proposed amendments:
- Sub-regulation 2.3.21 (Squashes, Crushes, Fruit Syrups/Fruit Sharbats and Barley Water), the words ‘Fruit Syrups/Fruit Sharbats’ is removed from the draft amendment.
- This implies that the products of Fruit Syrups/Fruit Sharbats are not included in this sub-regulation.
- In the table named Appendix B which relates to the microbiological requirements to be complied with the product, the product mentioning Fruit Syrups/Fruit Sharbats has also been removed and added in the following point.
2. Sub-regulation 2.3.24 (Synthetic Syrup or Sharbat) in the Principal Regulation is substituted with the sub-regulation “2.3.24.Sharbat and Synthetic syrup” from the Draft Amendment
In the Draft Amendment, the meaning of Sharbats and Synthetic Syrup has been separated along with the parameters of permissible limits.
3. Both Synthetic Syrup and Sharbats, the syrup was obtained by blending syrup made from sugar, dextrose or liquid glucose mentioned in the Principal Regulations, however, in the Draft Amendment, the following has been suggested:
- For Sharbats, the requirement of ‘minimum 25 percent of juice or extract of fruit or vegetable or nut or herb or flower or spice, alone or in combination’,
- For Synthetic syrups the ‘combination of blending syrup made from sugar, dextrose or liquid glucose’.
4. For Sharbats, the parameters of permissible limits has been suggested as below:
- Acidity as citric acid is to be from 0.05 to 0.15
- Specific Gravity is to be from 1.3 to 1.5
- Total Soluble Solids (Percent by mass) is to be More than 30.0
- pH is to be less than 4.5
5. For Synthetic Syrups, the parameters of permissible limits has been suggested as below
- Acidity as citric acid is to be from 0.1 to 0.3
- Specific Gravity is to be from 1.0 to 1.5
- Total Soluble Solids (Percent by mass) is to be more than 30.0
- pH is to be less than 4.5.
Source: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
