Significant Update

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced a clear legal definition for “minimally processed” foods to stop misleading marketing claims. The regulator aims to prevent manufacturers from promoting heavily altered products as “fresh” or “raw” to gain an unfair market advantage.

FSSAI Lists Approved Processing Methods

Under the 2026 amendment, manufacturers can use the label “minimally processed” only when they make slight modifications mainly for preservation without significantly changing the food’s nutritional value. The approved methods include cleaning, removing inedible parts, grinding, refrigeration, pasteurisation, fermentation, freezing, and vacuum packaging. According to the notification, these foods undergo only limited alterations for preservation purposes while retaining their nutritional content.

Rules Draw a Clear Line on Food Labelling

With this clarification, FSSAI has kept single-ingredient staples such as pulses, rice, cereals, fruits, and vegetables outside certain complex labelling rules meant for ultra-processed foods. However, manufacturers will lose the right to label products as “minimally processed” if they use processing methods beyond those specified in the amendment.

Source: FNB News