FSSAI, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the apex food regulatory has informed FBOs prohibiting the use of Mustard oil as Class-1 preservative used in preparation of Compounded Asafoetida.
The apex food regulator has issued a clarification on whether ‘mustard oil’ as class -1 preservative or binding agent or ingredient in compounded asafoetida is allowed and explained that under the FSS regulations there is no mention of mustard oil as an ingredient and neither it was mentioned as a binding agent.
The FSSAI’s statement referring to the FSS Regulations reads, “Compound asafoetida is standardised under sub regulation 2.9.29 of FSS (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 wherein mustard oil as an ingredient is not mentioned.”
The FSSAI reasoned, “In the said regulations, there is no clause given related to class-1 preservatives. Further, since the preservatives or additives permitted for use in various products are listed as per the Food Category System (FCS) in Appendix A of said regulations, mustard oil as a binding agent is neither mentioned under FCS 12.2.1-herbs, spices masalas, spice mixture including oleoresins or extracts/derivatives (which covers asafoetida) nor listed under GMP additives list.
“Therefore, mustard oil as an ingredient or binding agent or class-I preservative is not allowed to be used in the product compounded asafoetida,” reads the statement by FSSAI.
Asafoetida has two types of production where a plain one and compounded one are produced by Indian FBOs. In Compounded Asafoetida, FSSAI has sought a prohibition and abandonment of Mustard oil being used as Class-1 preservative as it was not mentioned in the regulations anyhwere.