FSSAI Drafts Standards for Pulses, Honey and other Food Grains
\The FSSAI has issued a draft notification on 14 December, 2017 on Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standard and Food Additives) Amendment Regulation related to standards of all pulses, whole and decorticated Pearl Millet grains, Degermed Maize flour and Maize Grit, Couscous, Tempe, Textured Soy Protein, Sago flour, Honey, Bee Wax & Royal Jelly and Steviol glycoside. These amendments regulations prescribed revised standards for honey and comprehensive standards for all pulses and for all other products, there are new standards. These amendment standards will ensure purity and quality of these food products. Stakeholders have been invited to send their suggestions and objections within a period of one month from the above-mentioned date.
Under the FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTS regulation in food category dealing with Groundnut kernel, the standards for Aflatoxin have now been omitted
Under the regulation CEREALS AND CEREAL PRODUCTS in the category of food grains (2.4.6) Alatoxin standards also stand omitted for Wheat, Maize, Rice and in the clause “Any other food grains not specified above shall conform to the following standards. The term JAWAR and BAJRA will be substituted with the term Jawar and the new standards for Jawar are as follows
Jawar shall be the dried mature grains of Sorghum Vulgare Pers. and shall be sweet, hard, clean and wholesome. Standards are as follows.
S No.
Parameter
Limit
Moisture
Not more than 16.0 percent by weight (obtained by heating the pulverized grains at 130oC-133oC for two hours).
Foreign matter -Extraneous Matter
Not more than 1 percent. by weight of which not more than 0.25 percent. by weight shall be mineral matter and not more than 0.10 percent by weight shall be impurities of animal origin.
Other edible grains
Not more than 3 percent by weight.
Damaged grains
Not more than 6 percent by weight our of which ergot affected grains shall not exceed 0.05 percent by weight.
Weevilled grains
Not more than 6 percent by weight.
Uric acid
Not more than 100 mg per kg
Provided that the total of foreign matter, other edible grains, and damaged grains shall not exceed 10 percent by weight.
All the standards for pulses given under ‘food grains’ stand omitted and will be omitted and standards for pulses have been amended as
Standards for pulses
(1) This standard applies to the whole or shelled or split pulses and they shall be free from toxic or noxious seeds and added colouring matter.
(2) The standard for the pulses shall cover the following, namely:-
(I) Lentil (Masur) - Lenil esculenta Moench or Lens culinaris Medik or Ervem lens Linn;
(II) Black gram (Urd) – Phaseolus mungoLinn;
(III) Green gram (Moong) - Phaseolus aureus Roxb., Phaseolus radiatus Roxb;
(IV) Bengal gram (Chana or Chickpea) or Kabuli Chana or Chhole or(green chickpea) Hara chana - Cicerarietinum Linn;
(V) Red gram (Arhar) – Cajanus cajan (L) Mills;
(VI) Horse gram (Kulthi) –Dolichosbiflorus;
(VII) Field bean (Black, Brown, White), Sem - Phaseolus vulgaris ;
(VIII) Peas dry (Matra) –Pisumsativum;
(IX) Soybean – Glycine max Merr.);
(X) Rajmah or Double beans or Broad beans or Black beans – (Phaseolus vulgaris);
(XI) Lobia or black-eyed beans or black-eyed white labia – (Vignacatjang);
(XII) Moth bean (matki) – (Phaseolusaconitifolius Jacq.)
All the above-mentioned pulses will conform to the following standards.
S No.
Parameter
Limit
Moisture Content (percent by mass), Max.
14.0
Pulses without seed coat 12.0
Extraneous Matter
Not more than 1.0 percent. by mass of which not more than 0.25 percent. by mass shall be mineral matter and not more than 0.10 percent. by mass shall be impurities of animal origin.
Defects (I) Seeds with serious defects. (Seeds in which the cotyledons have been affected or attacked by pests; seeds with very slight traces of mould or decay; or slight cotyledon staining.) (% not more than) (II) Seeds with slight defects. (Seeds which have not reached normal development; seeds with extensive seedcoat staining, without the cotyledon being affected; seeds in which the seed coat is wrinkled, with pronounced folding or broken pulses *)
1.0 Not more than 7.0% of which broken pulses must not exceed 3.0%
Other edible pulses (not more than), % by mass
2.0
Discolored seeds (not more than), % by mass
3.0
Uric acid (not more than)
100 mg per kg
Note- * The broken pulses. Broken in the whole pulse in which the cotyledon is separated or one cotyledon is broken. Broken in split pulses are pulses in which the cotyledon is broken.
Whole and decorticated pearl millet grains (Bajra)
Pearl millet grains (whole or decorticated grains) shall be the dried mature grains of Pennisetum typhoideum Rich or Pennisetum americanum L.
- The whole grains of pearl millet obtained as such after proper threshing with no mechanical treatment.
- The decorticated grains of pearl millet from which outer parts, amounting to 20–22% of the weight of the whole grains, is removed in an appropriate manner using mechanical treatment including simple abrasion.
- All types of bajra grains shall be free from abnormal flavors, odors and living insects. They shall also be free from added coloring matter, moulds, weevils, obnoxious substances, discoloration, poisonous seeds etc.
- The grain shall conform to the following standards for Whole millet grains
S No.
Parameter
Limit
Moisture (percent by mass), Max.
13.0
1 Litre mass (in gms)
750-820
Extraneous matter
Not more than 1.0 percent. By mass of which not more than 0.25 percent. By mass shall be mineral matter and not more than 0.10 percent. By mass shall be impurities of animal origin.
Damaged grains percent by mass (Not more than)
6.0 out of which Ergot affected grains shall not exceed 0.05 percent by mass
Weevilled grains(Not more than)
6 percent by count
Other edible grains percent by mass (Not more than)
2.0
Uric acid (Not more than)
100 mg per kg
For decorticated millet grains standards are as follows
S No.
Parameter
Limit
Moisture (percent by mass), Max.
13.0
Appearance - Brown, white or green
Hard uniform in shape and size
1000 kernel weight Decorticated millet grains (in gms)
4.0-8.0
1 Litre mass (in gms)
750-820
Extraneous matter
Not more than 1.0 percent. By mass of which not more than 0.25 percent. By mass shall be mineral matter and not more than 0.10 percent. By mass shall be impurities of animal origin.
Damaged grains (percent by mass), Not more than
6.0 out of which Ergot affected grains shall not exceed 0.05 percent by mass
Weevilled grains percent (Not more than)
6% by count
Immature & Shrivelled grain % by mass (Not more than)
8.0
Other edible grains (percent by mass), Not more than
2.0
ASH (percent on dry matter basis)
0.8-1.0
PROTEIN (percent by mass on a dry basis), Not less than
8.0
Decortication %
20.0 -22.0
crude fiber % by mass (on a dry basis)
2.0
fat % by mass on a dry basis
2.0 to 4.0
Uric acid (Not more than)
100 mg per kg
The old standards for Corn Flakes (2.4.8) have been substituted by new standards and cornflakes has been described as “Cornflakes means the product obtained from dehulled, degermed and cook corn (Zea mays L.) by flaking, partially drying and toasting. It may contain any other ingredients suitable to the product whose standards are prescribed in Food Safety and Standards (Food Products and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. It shall be in the form of crisp flakes of reasonably uniform size and golden brown in color. It shall be free from dirt, insects, larvae and impurities and any other extraneous matter.
- New standards for Degermed Maize (Corn) Flour and Maize (Corn) Grits. Degermed maize (corn) flour is prepared from fully mature, cleaned, free from mould degermed kernels of maize (corn), Zea mays L., by a grinding process in which the
- grain is comminuted to a suitable degree of fineness and from which bran and germ are removed. In its preparation, coarse particles of the ground maize kernel may be separated, reground and recombined with all of the material from which they were separated.
- Degermed maize (corn) grits are prepared from fully mature, cleaned, free from mould, kernels of maize (corn), Zea mays, by a grinding process in which the grain is comminuted to a suitable degree of fineness and from which bran and germ are almost completely removed.
- Degermed Maize (Corn) Flour and Maize (Corn) Grits shall be free from abnormal flavors, odors, living insects and filth (impurities of animal origin, including dead insects).
Couscous is obtained from durum wheat semolina (Triticum durum) the elements of which are bound by adding potable water and which has undergone physical treatment such as cooking and drying.
Couscous may be prepared from a mixture of coarse and fine semolina. It can also be prepared from “coarse medium” semolina and it shall be clean and safe.
Semolina proportions in the mixture intended for the preparation of couscous are:
(i) 20–30% for fine semolina
(ii) 70–80% for coarse semolina
“Coarse medium” semolina obtained from a mixture of:
(i) 25–30% for coarse semolina
(ii) 70–75% for medium semolina
Tempe is a compact, white, cake-form product, prepared from dehulled boiled soybeans through solid state fermentation with Rhizopus spp.
The product covered by this standard shall consist of the following ingredients:
- Soybean (any variety)
- Mould of Rhizopus spp. (R.oligosporus, R. oryzae and/ or R. stolonifera) mix with
- cooked rice powder, rice bran powder and/ or wheat bran powder as an inocula
Textured Soy Protein (Soy Bari or Soy Nuggets or Soy Chunks or Soy Granules) is obtained by extrusion of defatted soy flour/ grits.
Sago flour is the product prepared from the pith or soft core of sago palm tree (Metroxylon sp.) or the Sago of Tapioca (Manihot utilissima). The product shall be free from off-flavors and odors. It must be free from filth (impurities of animal origin including insects) and other extraneous matters. Colour shall be white to light-brown.
In the regulation relating to Sweets and Confectionery, the following will be added
Dry Mixtures of Cocoa and Sugars: The standard applies to dry mixtures of cocoa and sugars intended for direct consumption. Dry Mixtures of Cocoa and Sugars is the product obtained from Cocoa Cake
transformed into powder.
(2) Essential Requirements:
- Moisture Content, percent by mass: Not more than 7%
- Dry Mixtures of Cocoa and Sugars
Chocolate Powder: mixture of cocoa powder and sugars and/or sweeteners, containing not less than 32% wt/wt cocoa powder (29% wt/wt on a dry matter basis).
Optional Ingredients
- Spices
- Salt (Sodium chloride)
In the regulation SWEETENING AGENTS INCLUDING HONEY (2.8) the standards for Honey will be as follows
Honey and it’s by products.-
1.Honey
- Honey shall be the natural sweet substance produced by honey bees from the nectar of blossoms or from secretions of plants, which honey bees collect, transform and store in honeycombs for ripening. It shall possess pleasant aroma, sweet flavor and taste characteristic of honey.
- Honey shall be free from organic and inorganic matter including visible mould, insects and insect debris, fragments of bees, brood, pieces of beeswax, grains of sand, and any other extraneous matter.
- Honey shall comply with the following requirements:
S No.
Parameter
Permissible Limits
Specific gravity at 27° C, Min
1.35
Moisture, percent by mass, Max
20.0
Total reducing sugars, percent by mass, Min Carvia callosa and Honeydew honey, percent by mass, Min
65.0 60.0
Sucrose, percent by mass, Max Carvia callosa and Honeydew honey, Max
5.0 10.0
Fructose to Glucose ratio (F/G Ratio)
0.95 – 1.20
Total Ash, percent by mass, Max
0.50
(a) Acidity expressed as formic acid percent by mass, Max, (b) Free Acidity milliequivalents acid/ 1000 g, Max
0.20 50.0
Hydroxy Methyl Furfural (HMF) mg/kg, Max
80.0
Diastase activity, Schade units, Min
8.0
Water-insoluble matters percent by mass, Max,
0.10
Fiehe’s test
Negative
Aniline chloride test
Negative
C4 Sugar, percent by mass, Max
7.0
Pollen count/ g, Min
50000
Special marker for Rice Syrup (SMR)
Negative
Trace marker for Rice Syrup (TMR)
Negative
Foreign oligosaccharides
Nil
Proline, mg/kg, Min
200
Electrical conductivity (a) Honey not listed under Honeydew, Max (b) Honey listed under Honeydew, Min
0.8 mS/cm 0.8 mS/cm
(a) ∆δ13C Max(the Maximum difference between all measured δ 13C values); percent (b) ∆δ13C Fru – Glu (The difference in 13C/12C ratio between fructose and glucose); percent (c) ∆δ13C (%) Protein – Honey (The difference in 13C/12C between honey and its associated protein extract)percent
± 2.1 ± 1.0 ≥ – 1.0
Total Oligosaccharides, percent (erlose, theanderose, and panos)
3.0-4.0
Honey can be labeled according to floral or plant source, if it comes from any particular source, and has the organoleptic, physicochemical and microscopic properties corresponding with that origin.
- “Monofloral Honey”, the minimum pollen content of the plant species concerned shall not be less than 45 percent of total pollen content; and
- “Multi floral Honey”, the pollen content of any of the plant species shall not exceed 45 percent of the total pollen content.
- Note: “Carvia callosa” is the honey derived from the flower of Carvia callosa plant which is described as thixotropic and is gel-like extremely viscous when standing still and turns into the liquid when agitated or stirred.
- “Honeydew honey” is the honey which comes mainly from excretions of plant-sucking insects of Order Hemiptera on the living parts of plants or secretions of living parts of plants.
Bee Wax
Beeswax is obtained from the honeycombs of bees (family Apidae e.g. Apis mellifera L) after the honey has been removed by draining or centrifuging. The combs are melted with hot water, steam or solar heat; the melted product is filtered and cast into cakes of yellow beeswax. White beeswax is obtained by bleaching the yellow beeswax with oxidizing agents, e.g. hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid, or sunlight.
Beeswax consists of a mixture of esters of fatty acids and fatty alcohols, hydrocarbons, and free fatty acids; minor amounts of free fatty alcohols are also present
Yellow beeswax: Yellow or light-brown solid that is somewhat brittle when cold and presents a dull, granular, non-crystalline fracture when broken; it becomes pliable at about 35oIt has a characteristic odor of honey.
White beeswax: White or yellowish white solid (thin layers are translucent) having a faint and characteristic odor of honey.
FSSAI Drafts Standards for Pulses Honey and other Food Grains
Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is the mixture of secretions from hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker bees, free from any additive. It is the food of larval and adult queens.
It is a raw and natural food, unprocessed except for filtration which does not undergo addition of substances. The color, taste and the chemical composition of royal jelly are determined by absorption and transformation by the bees fed with the following two types of foods during the royal jelly production time
- Type 1: only bee’s natural foods (pollen, nectar, and honey);
- Type 2: bee’s natural food and other nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates)
10-hydroxy-2-decanoic acid (HDA): HDA is the characteristic component of royal jelly.
Requirements
- Description: Royal jelly is milky white, pale yellow, with luster. It is pasty or jelly-like at normal temperature with fluidity and shall be free from the bubble and foreign substances. Minor crystallization phenomena can occur naturally in royal jelly during storage.
- Odor and taste: It is pungent, unfermented and shall not be rancid. It is acerb, spicy, and brings acrid taste to palate and throat.
- Chemical requirements Royal jelly shall comply with the requirements as follows:
Chemical requirements of royal jelly
S.No
Parameters
Permissible Limit
Type 1
Type 2
Moisture content percent by mass, Max
62.0-68.5
10-HDA percent by mass, Max, Min
1.4
Protein, percent by mass
11-18
Total sugar, percent by mass
7-18
Fructose, percent by mass
2-9
Glucose, percent by mass
2-9
Sucrose, percent by mass, Max
3.0
NA*
Erlose, percent by mass, Max
0.5
NA*
9,
Maltose, percent by mass, Max
1.5
NA*
Maltotriose, percent by mass, Max
0.5
NA*
Total acidity, ml of 1 mol/l NaOH l/100g
30.0-53.0
Total lipid, percent by mass
2-8
C13/C12 Isotopic ratio (δ ‰)
−29 to −20
−29 to −14
Furosine is an additional, optional quality parameter which shows freshness of royal jelly.
In the regulation Standards of Additives (3.2) under the category Sweetener (3.2.2) for Steviol Glycoside, the amendments have been made to standards for
- PURITY which will now be substituted by “Assay/purity - Not less than 95 percent of the total of steviol glycosides on the dried basis”
- Total ash Not more than percent will now be substituted with “Total ash Not more than 1 percent
Courtesy: FSSAI