The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has once again revised its lists of notified and referral laboratories authorized to test the nutrient content of fortified rice products. Both these orders are dated July 8, 2024 and supersede the prior orders dated June 3, 2024.
FSSAI permits these laboratories to analyze samples of Fortified Rice (FR), Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) and Vitamin-Mineral Premix for FRK.
The laboratories run tests on three key fortificants, namely:
- Iron
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin B9
To avail of this permission, the labs must maintain valid accreditation status. Businesses can verify accreditation on the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) website before sending samples for testing.
Notified Laboratories
Only laboratories on the FSSAI’s notified list can be used for testing fortified rice products.
It may be noted that the present order supersedes the previous order dated June 3, 2024.
Referral Laboratories
A referral laboratory conducts tests when the initial testing of the product by FSSAI-approved primary food testing labs fails to meet nutrient content standards. In such cases, samples are referred to these specialized Referral Food Laboratories for further analysis.
Only FSSAI-approved Referral Food Laboratories can be used for retesting failed samples. The present order supersedes order dated June 3, 2024.
The FSSAI advises stakeholders to refer to its website for the latest information on approved testing labs and regulations related to fortified rice.
