Food Safety

8 min read

May 16, 2026

FSSAI Banned Food Ingredients List 2026: Complete Guide for Indian Consumers

FSSAI's February 2026 amendments added new banned substances. This is the only consumer-friendly guide to every ingredient currently illegal in Indian packaged food — in plain language, updated for 2026.

Why This List Matters: FSSAI's 2026 Updates Change What's in Your Food

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) updates its banned and restricted ingredients list through amendments to the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. In 2025–2026, FSSAI made three significant regulatory changes:

February 2026 amendments notified in July 2025

new enzyme standards, edible oil purity requirements, and updates to permitted additives lists;

Version VIII of Labelling Regulations (September 2025)

mandatory disclosure requirements for certain additives;

October 2025 BPA/PFAS ban proposal

affecting food contact materials, not ingredients per se.

Despite these updates, FSSAI's actual communications remain dense, technical PDFs written for food businesses — not for the 1.4 billion Indian consumers who eat packaged food daily. This guide translates FSSAI's current banned ingredients list into plain language with specific examples of which products may contain these substances.

Currently Banned Ingredients in Indian Packaged Food (2026)

These ingredients are explicitly prohibited by FSSAI and should not appear in any legally manufactured Indian food product:

Potassium Bromate (INS 924)

a bread improving agent banned by FSSAI due to carcinogenicity; still used illegally in some bakeries.

Rhodamine B

a synthetic dye used illegally in street food (candyfloss, chilli powder); FSSAI and state authorities conduct periodic raids.

Calcium Carbide (for fruit ripening)

banned since 2011; still widely misused.

Metanil Yellow (Acid Yellow 36)

a coal tar-derived dye banned in India; found in yellow sweets, dal, and turmeric adulteration.

Argemone Oil

banned adulterant in mustard oil; causes epidemic dropsy.

Lead, Mercury, and Arsenic above FSSAI limits

heavy metals in spices and herbs.

Colouring Matter derived from Proscribed Coal Tar Dyes

including Amaranth (E123), Red 2G (E128), Brown HT (E155).

BPA and PFAS in food contact materials

effective December 2025.

Restricted Ingredients: Legal But Only in Permitted Quantities

Beyond outright banned substances, FSSAI restricts dozens of additives to specific maximum use levels. When these limits are exceeded — as they frequently are in non-compliant manufacturing — these ingredients become illegal. Key restricted additives:

Sodium Benzoate (INS 211)

maximum 250 mg/kg in beverages; illegal when used in combination with Vitamin C without declaring benzene formation risk.

TBHQ (INS 319)

maximum 100 mg/kg; frequently exceeded in low-cost oil-fried snacks.

Tartrazine (INS 102)

maximum 100 mg/kg; linked to hyperactivity in children.

Monosodium Glutamate (INS 621)

banned in pasta, noodles, and oat-based foods; permitted in chips and snacks.

Caffeine

maximum 145 mg/kg in carbonated beverages; energy drink violations are common.

Trans Fats

maximum 1g per 100g as of January 2023; still exceeded in some vanaspati and low-cost biscuit manufacturers.

Regular lab testing by CSE India and FSSAI surveillance have found systematic violations across all these categories.

How to Check If a Product Violates FSSAI Regulations

Identifying banned or restricted ingredients on Indian food labels requires knowing both the ingredient name and its INS code (International Numbering System). FSSAI mandates that all additives be declared by name or INS number. Steps to check compliance:

Read the full ingredient list

it must be present by law on all packaged foods.

Look for INS numbers

any INS number can be cross-referenced with FSSAI's permitted additives schedule.

Check for missing declarations

if a product tastes extremely sweet, sour, or colourful but lists no corresponding additive, it may be using unlabelled illegal additives.

Verify that MSG (INS 621) is not listed in pasta or noodle products

its use is banned in these categories.

For oils, check that partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (vanaspati) does not appear as a primary ingredient

this is the main source of illegal trans fat.

AaharIQ automatically cross-references all detected ingredients against FSSAI's current permitted list and flags any violation or restriction, updated with every FSSAI regulatory change.

What to Do If You Find a Banned Ingredient in an Indian Product

Indian consumers have a legal right to safe food and a mechanism to report violations. If you identify a product containing a banned or improperly used restricted ingredient:

Report to FSSAI via the Food Safety Connect app or the FSSAI helpline 1800-11-4420 (toll-free).

File a consumer complaint on the National Consumer Helpline (1915).

Report to your state's Food Safety Commissioner

each state has a designated food safety authority.

Share evidence on social media

FSSAI is responsive to viral public complaints.

Use AaharIQ to scan the product and generate a report of all detected ingredients with their regulatory status

this gives you documented evidence for any complaint.

The FSSAI complaint process has improved significantly in 2025 following the Supreme Court's intervention on FOPL labelling. More than 2,400 FBOs were penalised for food safety violations in Q1 2026 alone. Your complaint matters and is legally actionable.

References

[1]FSSAI (2026). Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations 2025 — effective February 2026. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
[2]FSSAI (2025). Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations Version VIII. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
[3]CSE India (2024). Investigation into trans fat and additive violations in Indian packaged foods. Centre for Science and Environment.
[4]Supreme Court of India (2026). WP (C) — FSSAI Front of Pack Labelling — March 2026 order. Supreme Court of India.

Frequently Asked Questions

FSSAI has banned or restricted: potassium bromate (E924) in flour (2016), brominated vegetable oil (BVO/E443) in beverages, and proposed bans on titanium dioxide (E171) and certain PFAS-containing food contact materials. The 2026 amendments added restrictions on certain synthetic dyes and food contact chemicals. Check FSSAI's official gazette for the current list.

Without AaharIQ — you're scanning labels with your naked eye, missing hidden additives, E-numbers, and FSSAI violations that could silently harm your health over time.

AaharIQ · Free AI Food Scanner