FSSAI to require scientific proof for safety reviews from Jan 2026

India’s food regulator will require companies to submit scientific evidence when seeking safety reviews or changes to food standards, as authorities move to tighten oversight of packaged and processed foods in one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets.

From January 1, 2026, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will mandate that all such submissions follow a standardised format supported by scientific data, according to a report by The Times of India. The move is aimed at bringing greater consistency and rigour to how food safety decisions are evaluated.

Under the revised framework, applicants will need to disclose nutritional composition, estimated consumption levels among Indian consumers, toxicological study findings, evidence establishing safe intake thresholds and assessments of allergy risks, alongside supporting scientific literature.

Submissions will be examined by FSSAI’s Science and Standards Division and assessed by expert committees, which will determine whether products should be approved, permitted to continue, restricted or subjected to tighter regulatory limits.

The rule will not automatically reopen safety assessments for products already on the market. Instead, it will apply when a stakeholder seeks a scientific risk evaluation, either to introduce a new product or to review an existing one, shifting the burden of proof firmly onto the applicant.

Officials told The Times of India that a sharper focus on Indian dietary patterns has become necessary as packaged foods gain wider penetration. International studies, they said, often fail to capture local exposure levels, given differences in portion sizes, frequency of consumption and dietary sensitivities.

“This is an important step to protect public health,” Anjali Bhola, a dietician at the National Cancer Institute, Jhajjar, under the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, told the newspaper. “Requiring evidence on long-term safety, consumption patterns and allergy risks helps make food regulation more relevant to Indian consumers.”

FSSAI has said that data submitted for risk assessment will be treated as confidential and used solely for scientific evaluation and policy formulation.