India's Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) has drafted norms for regulating the levels of microbes in meat and meat products. These norms are expected to come into force after 60 days of it being published in the official gazette.
Presently, the norms include "Microbiological requirements of food products" but the regulators intend to include "Hygiene Indicator Organisms" where they will specify the maximum amount of bacteria in the food, reported NDTV.com.
The new norms also include several other criteria which comprises minimum number of samples to be presented for testing, the units to be used for analyses, the level above which a lot has to be rejected, and definitions of what constitute meat and meat products.
FSSAI stated: "The objections and suggestions, which may be received from any person with respect to the said draft regulations before the expiry of the period so specified, shall be considered by the food authority."
It also invited stakeholders to file their comments on the norms.
