FSSAI issues testing methods for five food product types

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued approved methods for analysis of various food products. These are the standardised testing methods for five different food product types- methods of detection; analysis and estimation of melamine in milk and milk products; total polar compounds in edible oils and fats, estimation of coumarin content in cinnamon, parameters in sago and detection of acid value in oils and fats.

These methods are standardised and would be helpful in uniform testing methods across India, resulting in non-variable results. The country’s apex food regulator said that these methods were approved by the scientific panel on methods of sampling and analysis.

FSSAI may also add further product categories and list their testing methods. In the recent past, the regulators issued a notification which included the maximum levels of total polar compounds (TPCs) that should be present and the testing of the edible oils for the same. New inclusion of training for milk and milk products under the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme is another example.