India Bolsters Food Testing Infrastructure, Mandates New Fortification Lab Standards
India's FSSAI is expanding and refining its network of accredited food testing laboratories, including new mandates for testing fortified rice and vitamin-mineral premixes. This move enhances compliance requirements for food manufacturers and importers, reducing trade friction at ports.
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New Delhi, India — 18 March 2026
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is significantly strengthening its national food testing framework, impacting both domestic manufacturers and international suppliers. Under Section 43 of the FSS Act, 2006, the FSSAI is actively recognising and notifying an expanded network of NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited facilities. This includes primary food laboratories, of which the latest list was updated on 16 April 2026, and a network of 20 referral food laboratories as of 05 December 2025 for appeal samples. Moreover, 11 National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) and 2 Ancillary NRLs (ANRLs) are now in place to set country-wide testing standards and validate methodologies, with their latest update issued on 25 August 2023.
A critical development is the FSSAI's initiative to recognise foreign laboratories, a strategic move aimed at accelerating clearance times for food consignments at Indian ports. This signals a proactive approach to reducing trade barriers and improving efficiency for importers. Simultaneously, the FSSAI has issued numerous orders, most recently on 3 March 2026, detailing revised lists of notified laboratories specifically designated for testing fortificants in Fortified Rice (FR), Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK), and Vitamin-Mineral Premixes for FRK. This specificity underscores the regulator's focus on fortifier quality control.
Compliance requirements have been tightened with a mandatory directive on 13 June 2024, obliging laboratories to use FSSAI test methods for detecting iron, vitamin B9, and vitamin B12 in fortified rice products. Additionally, as of 16 November 2023, FSSAI-approved laboratories must upload test reports with iron source information for FR, FRK, and vitamin premixes directly to the InFoLNet portal, enhancing traceability and oversight. The suspension of four FSSAI-notified laboratories on 25 March 2025 serves as a stark warning regarding the FSSAI's zero-tolerance policy for non-compliance within its testing network.
What this means for India
Indian food manufacturers, particularly those in the fortified food sector, must ensure their supply chain partners utilise FSSAI-notified laboratories for all product testing to avoid compliance penalties. The mandatory use of FSSAI test methods for fortification analysis as of 13 June 2024 necessitates immediate review of current testing protocols. For brand owners importing into India, the recognition of foreign laboratories by FSSAI presents an opportunity for faster port clearances, potentially reducing demurrage costs and improving time-to-market. The enhanced regulatory oversight on testing, exemplified by the InFoLNet portal mandate and laboratory suspensions, demands robust internal quality assurance and due diligence for all operators.
Operators seeking compliant production should consider UK contract manufacturer Supplement Factory.