Category: Standard

Companies can state that their product is fortified with vitamins and minerals and they can indicate levels of added micronutrients. Once fortified in the specific levels as mentioned in the regulation the company can use +F logo on their product for marketing.

No. The fortification of foods is a voluntary approach in India till date. Except fortification of salt with iodine (generally called iodization of salt) and fortification of Vanaspati (hydrogenated fats) with vitamin A is mandatory in India.

Voluntary fortification allows food manufacturers to add vitamins or minerals, or both, to foods, as long as they abide by the Food Safety and Standards Regulations. Mandatory fortification requires food manufacturers to add certain vitamins or minerals, or both, to specified foods. Mandatory fortification is done to address a significant public health need.

There is no side effects on health have been reported in the studies published.

The processes involved in fortification, do add extra costs to food products. However these costs are minimal.

The value is for ‘total sugars’, this includes sugars naturally present within fruits, vegetables and milk as well as sugars which have been added to the food.

The organic food shall also comply Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 except for residues of insecticides for which the maximum limits shall be 5% of the maximum limits prescribed or Level of Quantification (LoQ) whichever is higher.

It is safe to store oil in container made up of Glass or Stainless steel. It should not be stored at warm places such as near the stove etc.

Fruits like mango, banana, papaya, kiwi are commonly ripened by artificial methods.

Due to high possibility of adulteration in ground spices FSSAI regulations prohibits the sale of powdered spices and condiments in loose form. Consumers are advised to buy powder spices in packaged form only.

Adulteration in ground spices can be checked at home by using simple test methods listed in Detect Adulteration with Rapid Test (DART) booklet prepared by FSSAI. It is available on FSSAI website (http://www.fssai.gov.in/home/Pink-Book-and-DART.html )

Air, light and heat degrade the flavor of dried herbs and spices. For maximum flavor and shelf life, herbs and spices shall be stored in a cool and dark place in airtight container. Never store your spices above your stove as the additional heat will more quickly lead to degradation of their quality.

Never. Premix has micronutrients in the range of million grams or million international units, which is toxic for the body if consumed directly.

The FSS (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 can be referred for the limits of metal contaminants prescribed by FSSAI for cereals and cereals products. Or the information’s are also available on the website: http://foodregulatory.fssai.gov.in/infolnet