FSSAI assures stricter food item checks in India from 2026
What's the story
From tomorrow, India's food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), will implement stricter checks on new food products. The FSSAI will now require scientific evidence instead of mere assurances from producers. Under the new rules, companies must provide detailed nutritional information, consumption patterns among Indians, toxicological study results, allergy risks, and supporting research for any new product or change in existing standards.
Assessment overhaul
New guidelines aim for robust risk assessment
The change in rules comes after the FSSAI observed that many past submissions lacked consistent data/structure, making risk assessment difficult. The updated guidelines are aimed at making the process more robust and scientifically sound. The new requirement applies only when stakeholders approach the FSSAI for a risk assessment to introduce a new product or review an existing one.
Review process
Expert panels to review submitted data
Once the data is submitted, it will be evaluated by FSSAI's Science and Standards Division. Expert panels will then decide whether a product can be approved, continued in the market, restricted, or subjected to stricter limits. Officials claim that understanding Indian consumption patterns is important as packaged foods become more widespread and overseas data may not reflect local realities.
Expert opinion
Dietician highlights difference in Indian dietary habits
Dietician Anjali Bhola from the National Cancer Institute, Jhajjar, AIIMS said earlier many foods were approved using limited or incomplete information. She stressed that Indian dietary habits, portion sizes and sensitivities differ from those in other countries. "Requiring proper scientific proof about long-term safety, consumption levels and allergy risks ensures food rules are practical, evidence-based and safer for consumers," Bhola added.
Data privacy
FSSAI assures confidentiality of submitted data
The FSSAI has assured the stakeholders that all data submitted for risk assessment shall be treated confidentially and used only for scientific evaluation and policymaking. For consumers, this means that from 2026 onward, solid scientific evidence will determine the safety of food items in question. The new rules are expected to reduce guesswork in regulatory decisions and help consumers feel more confident about vetted products.