The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India vide its notification dated 30th November 2021 has directed the authorised officers to ensure that all imported consignment of cinnamon gets tested for coumarin content.
In order to check that cheap cassia is not sold as cinnamon in the market or used as an adulterant in cinnamon, FSSAI has operationalized the amendment w.e.f24.11.2016 to the standards of cinnamon (whole and powder) with respect to inclusion of maximum permissible limit of coumarin content to be not more than 0.3% by weight. This inclusion of new standard will help in distinguishing between cinnamon and cassia because cassia contains coumarin content in range of 0.8 to 10.63%. Cinnamon varieties have coumarin content around 0.2%
The Standards of cinnamon is specified at 2.9.4 of (food product standards and food additives) regulation 2011.As per the standards, the coumarin content shall not be more than 0.3 percent by weight.
