The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has rolled out new amendments to boost India’s food import testing process. The updated Food Safety and Standards (Import) First Amendment Regulations, 2025, were officially issued on October 27, 2025.

These new rules aim to make food testing in India faster, more accurate, and aligned with global standards. They will come into effect from May 1, 2026.

Under the revised Regulation 10, all laboratories testing imported food must now follow internationally accepted analysis methods. The focus is on ensuring reliability and uniformity in results.

Global Standards and Faster Turnaround

The amendment needs labs to use the testing methods mentioned in FSSAI’s official manuals. If a specific test method is not available, labs can use globally approved alternatives. These involve standards from well-known agencies such as AOAC, ISO, Pearson’s, Jacob, IUPAC, Food Chemicals Codex, BIS, Codex Alimentarius, Woodmen, Winton-Winton, and Joslyn.

A major highlight of the new rule is the five-day deadline for lab reports. Once a food sample is received, the notified or referral laboratory must issue its report within five working days. Each report, issued in Form 2, must be signed by the Food Analyst or the Director of the laboratory.

This amendment is expected to cut delays that often impact food import clearance. By speeding up the testing process, FSSAI aims to boost transparency and create trust in India’s food import system.

Strengthening Food Safety Oversight

Before confirming the amendment, FSSAI held a public consultation in October 2024. Industry stakeholders were invited to share their objections and suggestions. The feedback helped shape the final version of the regulation.

This is the fourth amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017, following updates made in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The continuous alterations highlight FSSAI’s commitment to strengthening India’s food safety framework and maintaining strict checks on imported food items.

With this update, India takes another step toward matching international food testing standards and ensuring that every imported product fulfills the country’s high safety benchmarks.

FSSAI’s new regulations mark a significant move toward faster, globally aligned food testing in India. The modifications will boost efficiency, strengthen consumer safety, and improve trust in imported food quality.