FSSAI tightens food import testing norms; new rules mandate faster lab reports, global-standard analysis methods
The move reflects FSSAI’s ongoing efforts to strengthen India’s food import oversight and ensure that imported food products meet the highest safety and quality standards.
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Import) First Amendment Regulations, 2025, introducing key changes to enhance the efficiency and reliability of food import testing in the country. The revised norms will come into effect on May 1, 2026.
According to the notification issued on October 27, 2025, the amendment updates Regulation 10 of the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017, to ensure that laboratories adopt internationally recognized testing methods and deliver results within a shorter timeframe.
Under the new provisions, laboratories must use methods of analysis as prescribed in the FSSAI manuals, as amended or adopted by the Authority from time to time. However, if a method for a specific parameter is not available in these manuals, food testing laboratories are permitted to adopt a validated method of analysis prescribed by internationally reputed agencies and standards such as AOAC, ISO, Pearson’s, Jacob, IUPAC, Food Chemicals Codex, BIS, Codex Alimentarius, Woodmen, Winton-Winton, or Joslyn.
Additionally, the amendment mandates that notified or referral laboratories must provide their analysis reports within five days from the date of receipt of the sample. These reports, issued in Form-2, must be duly signed by the laboratory’s Food Analyst or Director.
The regulatory update follows a public consultation process initiated in October 2024, during which FSSAI invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders. After reviewing the feedback, the Authority finalized the amendments to streamline food import testing, enhance transparency, and align domestic procedures with global food safety practices.
This marks the fourth amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017, which were previously revised in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The move reflects FSSAI’s ongoing efforts to strengthen India’s food import oversight and ensure that imported food products meet the highest safety and quality standards.
