FSSAI has re-operationalised the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Amendment Regulations, 2020 relating to incidental presence of Khesari Gram/Dal.
The FSSAI has framed the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Amendment Regulations, 2020 related to incidental occurring of Khesari dal in grams/pulses and which were operationalised on 4 June 2020.
Since the draft regulations are in the process of finalisation and likely to take some time so the FSSAI has decided to re-operationalise these amendment regulations from 5 December 2020 till the issuance of the final notification in this regard. FSSAI had earlier in June operationalised the amendment notification wherein the proviso had been inserted with regard to incidental presence of Khesari Gram/dal (Lathyrus sativus) in pulses not more than 2 percent by mass with immediate effect.
The FSSAI had made amendments under regulation 2.2: Restriction on use of certain ingredient in the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, wherein a proviso had been added to the regulation which is as follows
Provided that pulses/raw pulses may contain incidental presence of Khesari Gram/dal (Lathyrus sativus) including other edible pulses/grains not more than 2 percent of mass.
About Use of Khesari gram/dal
Khesari gram dal grows as weeds along with other pulses. Once it is harvested it becomes difficult to separate the pulses and the Khesari gram post-harvest. The traders have been asking the authorities to allow the sale of pulses having presence of Khesari gram dal but the food authorities considered the mixing of Khesari dal in pulses as adulteration. Also, since the Khesari dal had been declared as harmful to human health, so the Food Authorities had prohibited its sale.
However, the Madhya Pradesh government had sent representations for allowing at least 2% of Khesari in grams and pulses. Following which a consultative meeting was held under the Chairmanship of the Hon’ble Minister for Health and Family Welfare with the Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, wherein it was decided to allow 2% Khesari dal including other edible grains as incidental in pulses/raw pulses.
