Appendix A explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Part IV of Appendix A is the working core of the additive rules: fifteen tables that list, for each food category, the additives allowed, their INS numbers, the recommended maximum level and a note reference. It is long, but it is read in one repeatable way. A formulator finds the product's category number in part I, finds the table for that top-level category, and reads the rows for the category and its parents. Teams that want a second pair of eyes can start with food product approval.
This article reads the text as amended up to 10 July 2025 (FSSAI chapter compendium consolidated to amendment 83 of 21 October 2024, and the First Amendment Regulations, 2025 of 10 July 2025, in force 1 February 2026). Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in. A compendium is a reference consolidation; the Gazette text prevails.
Food products may contain additives as specified in these Regulations and in the tables. Tables 1 to 15 follow the 15 top-level food categories, and each row gives the category, the additive, its INS number, a recommended maximum level and a note. Capitalised additives in the tables are groups listed in Annexure-1. A separate GMP table lists additives usable in all categories except those in the Annex to GMP. From 1 February 2026 the entry "160" is omitted from the steviol glycosides entry for food category 14.1.5.
The layout of part IV
Part IV opens by saying that food products may contain additives as specified in the Regulations and in the following tables, and that all capital and bold additives in Tables 1 to 15 refer to a group of additives listed with their INS numbers in Annexure-1. The tables, the Annexure and two supporting lists make up the part.
| Component | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Tables 1 to 15 | the additives permitted in each top-level food category: Table 1 for dairy products and analogues, Table 2 for fats and oils, and so on up to Table 15 for ready-to-eat savouries |
| Explanations I and II | I: how the maximum limit for artificial sweeteners in table top sweeteners is read, with a list of permitted carriers and fillers; II: how more than one preservative may be combined |
| Annexure-1 | the groups of additives, such as sulfites and phosphates, with each additive's INS number |
| GMP Table | additives that may be used in all food categories under Good Manufacturing Practice, except the categories in the Annex to GMP |
| Annex to GMP Table | the food categories or individual food items where the GMP Table does not apply |
The six columns
Each table has the same six columns.
- Food category system: the category number from part I, such as 1.1.1.1.
- Food category name: its descriptor.
- Food additive: the additive name, or an Annexure-1 group in capitals.
- INS No.: the International Numbering System number.
- Recommended maximum level: a figure such as 1,500 mg/kg, or GMP.
- Note: a number that refers to the list of notes, which explains conditions such as "As phosphorus" (note 33), "As sorbic acid" (note 42) and "As steviol equivalents" (note 26).
Rows quoted exactly
| Category | Additive | INS | Maximum level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1.1 Milk (plain) | PHOSPHATES | group | 1,500 mg/kg | 33, 227 |
| 1.1.2 Dairy-based drinks, flavoured or fermented | Aspartame | 951 | 600 mg/kg | 191 |
| 1.1.2 | Sucralose (Trichlorogalactosucrose) | 955 | 300 mg/kg | none |
| 1.1.2 | Steviol glycosides | 960 | 200 mg/kg | 26, 201 |
| 1.2.1.1 Fermented milks (plain), not heat treated after fermentation | no additives permitted | |||
| 1.2.1.2 Fermented milks (plain), heat treated after fermentation | Diacetyltartaric and fatty acid esters of glycerol | 472e | 5,000 mg/kg | none |
Table 1 also shows that dahi carries a note: "No additives permitted in Dahi". Notes may say that a row applies only to a condition, for instance a use only in a stated product, and they must be read with the row.
How to find an additive for a product
- Get the category number from part I. Our article on the food category system explains the tree and the hierarchy principle.
- Open the table for the top-level category. For category 1.1.2, that is Table 1.
- Read the rows for that category and its parents. By the hierarchy principle, an additive recognised for a general category is recognised for its sub-categories unless otherwise stated.
- Check the INS number and the level. Match your additive by INS number, and read the recommended maximum level.
- Read the note. Note numbers explain how the level is expressed or where it applies.
- Check the GMP Table. Additives in the GMP Table may be used in all food categories under GMP, except the categories in the Annex to GMP, such as 1.1.1.1 milk (plain), ghee (2.1.1) and vegetable oils and fats (2.1.2).
- Check the Chapter 2 standard. A product standard may restrict additives further; for example, the milk standard says milk shall not contain any food additives, as our article on milk, condensed milk, khoa and cream records.
Maximum levels are set on the final product as consumed, unless otherwise specified, as regulation 3.1.1(6) says; see our article on the general conditions for food additives. For the colours, preservatives and thickeners themselves, see our articles on food colours and on preservatives, antioxidants and thickeners.
The GMP Table and its Annex
The GMP Table begins: "The following additives, as indicated may be used in all food categories (except those categories listed in the 'Annex to GMP' list) under the conditions of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) as outlined in the 3.1(8)". It lists additives by INS number, such as acetic acid glacial (260), agar (406), ascorbic acid, L- (300) and calcium carbonate (170(i)), and runs to xylitol (967). The Annex to GMP lists the food categories where the GMP Table does not apply, including milk and buttermilk (plain), fermented milks (plain), pasteurized cream, whey cheese, ghee, vegetable oils and fats, butter and fresh fruit.
What changed on 1 February 2026
The First Amendment Regulations, 2025 amended part IV in one place. In Table 14, relating to beverages excluding dairy products, for food category 14.1.5 (coffee, coffee substitutes, tea, herbal infusions and other hot cereal and grain beverages, excluding cocoa), the entry "160" in column (6), for the additive steviol glycosides and entries related to it, was omitted. The entry was omitted by the First Amendment Regulations, 2025, in force 1 February 2026. Note 160 is a condition that limits use to ready-to-drink products and pre-mixes for them; with it omitted, the steviol glycosides row keeps its other note (26, as steviol equivalents). The steviol glycoside specification is in our article on sweeteners, baker's yeast and food-grade acids.
A practical example
Lassi Lane makes a flavoured lassi sweetened with sucralose. Lassi is a dairy-based drink in category 1.1.2. Table 1 shows sucralose (INS 955) at 300 mg/kg with no note, so the finished drink may carry that level at most. The company also checks the colour rows and the notes that attach to them. If it added a stabiliser, it would read the 1.1.2 rows for the stabiliser's INS number and then the GMP Table for any GMP additives, remembering that the Annex to GMP excludes some categories.
Need help reading the tables?
Our team can place a recipe in a category, trace each additive through the tables and the notes, and check the label. Start with food product approval. The overview of additives and processing aids gives the wider picture.
Key takeaways
- Tables 1 to 15 follow the top-level food categories; each row gives the additive, INS number, maximum level and note.
- Capitalised additives are groups listed in Annexure-1.
- The GMP Table applies to all categories except those in the Annex to GMP.
- Levels are on the final product as consumed unless otherwise specified.
- From 1 February 2026 note 160 is omitted from the steviol glycosides entry for category 14.1.5.
Read next
- Appendix A, parts I and II: the food category system
- Regulation 3.1: general conditions for food additives
- Regulations 3.2.9 to 3.2.16: preservatives, antioxidants and thickeners
- Appendix B: microbiological requirements
Disclaimer: Based on the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 as consolidated in FSSAI's chapter-wise compendium (to amendment 83 of 21 October 2024) and the First Amendment Regulations, 2025, as consulted on fssai.gov.in on 2-3 October 2026. Later notifications and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provisions referred to should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.