Quantity of 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.
Regulation 2.3.1 fixes how much of each food is sent to the Food Analyst or Director for analysis, who issues the certificate or report afterwards and in what form, that fees are as the Food Authority prescribes, and the preservative to be used for certain samples. A Table lists the approximate quantity for 52 serial numbers of food. A business whose sample has been drawn can get help through FSSAI notice reply support.
This article reads the text as amended up to 14 September 2026 (FSSAI Compendium Version III dated 01.03.2021; the Amendment Regulations, 2026 apply from 1 April 2027). FSSAI compendia are reference consolidations and the Gazette text prevails. Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in.
Clause (1) says the quantity of sample sent to the Food Analyst or Director shall be as in the Table, which prints an "Approximate Quantity to be supplied" for each article. Clause (2) says the certificate signed by the Director of the Referral Food Laboratory, or the report signed by the Food Analyst, shall be supplied forthwith to the sender in Form A or Form B; clause (3) leaves fees to the Food Authority; clause (4) names formalin as the preservative for listed samples. From 1 April 2027 clause (2) refers to Forms XI or VII A of the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011 and Forms A and B are omitted. Food businesses, Designated Officers and laboratories are affected.
Clause (1): the quantity Table
The quantity of sample of food to be sent to the Food Analyst or Director for analysis shall be as specified in the Table. The Table has two columns: the article of food and the approximate quantity to be supplied. It runs to serial 52. Some serials group several foods in one line.
Sample rows exactly as printed
| Sr. No. | Article of food | Approximate quantity to be supplied |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milk | 500 ml. |
| 3 | Malai / Dahi | 200 gms. |
| 13 | Vanaspati, Edible Oils/Fats | 400 gms. |
| 14 | Carbonated Water | 3 litre |
| 23 | Saffron | 20 gms. |
| 38 | Food Grains and Pulses (Whole and Split) | 1 kg. |
| 47 | Natural Mineral Water/Packaged Drinking Water | 4000ml in three minimum original sealed packs |
| 51 | Canned Foods | 6 sealed cans |
Serial 52 is "Food not specified" at 500 gms, and serial 50 is "Proprietary Food, (Non Standardised Foods)" at 500 gms. The rest of the Table is in the compendium. Quantities are "approximate", and each unit is printed as in the Table (ml, gms, kg, litre or sealed packs).
An invented example: Himalaya Dairy sends a milk sample to the Food Analyst. Serial 1 prints 500 ml. for Milk. A sample of the same dairy's packaged drinking water would follow serial 47 instead, with its own unit and the sealed-pack condition.
Clause (2): certificate or report and the Forms
After test or analysis, the certificate signed by the Director of the Referral Food Laboratory, or the report signed by the Food Analyst, shall be supplied forthwith to the sender in Form A or Form B as the case may be. The two Forms appear at the end of the compendium and are explained by heading in our article on rapid test kits, methods and timelines.
Clause (3): fees
The fees payable for such test or analysis shall be as prescribed by the Food Authority from time to time. This clause was substituted by the notification of 15 October 2020 (footnote 3). The Regulations print no amount, and none is stated here.
Clause (4): the preservative
The preservative used in the case of samples of milk (including toned, separated and skimmed milk), standardized milk chhana, skimmed milk chhana, cream, ice-candy, dahi, khoa or khoa based and Paneer based sweets such as Kalakand and Burfi, Chutney and prepared foods, gur, prepared coffee and tea in liquid or semi-liquid form shall be the liquid commonly known as "formalin", that is, liquid containing about 40 per cent of formaldehyde in aqueous solution in the proportion of 0.1 ml. (two drops) for 25 ml. or 25 grams.
A first proviso covers ice-cream and mixed ice-cream: the preservative is formalin, a liquid containing about 40 percent of formaldehyde in aqueous solution, in the proportion of 0.6 ml. for 100 ml. or 100 gms.
A second proviso says that in the case of unspecified products, the quantity drawn shall be determined in consultation with the Food Analyst.
Notified change, in force from 1 April 2027
The Laboratory and Sample Analysis Amendment Regulations, 2026 (F. No. QA/11023/31/2022-QA-FSSAI(2), 14 September 2026) come into force on 1st April, 2027. Until then, the text above stands. From that date, in sub-regulation 2.3.1:
- Clause 2 is substituted: "After test or analysis, the certificate thereof duly signed by the Director of the Referral Food Laboratory or the report signed by the Food Analyst shall be supplied forthwith to the sender in Forms XI or VII A respectively as specified under the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011."
- The second proviso to clause 4 is substituted: "Provided further that in case of the unspecified products, the quantity drawn shall be as per the guidelines issued by Food Authority from time to time."
- Forms A and B are omitted from the Regulations.
So from that date the form for the certificate or report comes from the FSS Rules, 2011, and the quantity for unspecified products follows the Food Authority's guidelines in place of consultation with the Food Analyst. The Rules themselves are covered in our posts on analysis by the Food Analyst and on the right to analysis and appeal.
Practical reading for a food business
When a food business receives a sample report, check the form number against the date. Before 1 April 2027, a certificate or report is in Form A or Form B; from that date, in the forms the Rules specify. The overview posts sampling procedures under FSSAI and how food samples are collected and tested give the wider picture. The previous article in this series covers the definitions and the referral laboratory.
Need help with a food sample or analyst report?
A sample report opens the way to the right to analysis and, in some cases, an appeal. Our FSSAI notice reply service helps businesses read the report, check the quantity and form, and prepare a response within the time the notice gives.
Key takeaways
- Clause (1) Table gives an approximate quantity for each of 52 serial numbers.
- Clause (2) names Form A or Form B until 1 April 2027, then Forms XI or VII A of the FSS Rules, 2011.
- Fees are as the Food Authority prescribes; the Regulations print no amount.
- Formalin is the preservative named in clause (4), with proportions printed for milk-type samples and for ice-cream.
- Unspecified products: quantity decided with the Food Analyst until 1 April 2027, then per the Authority's guidelines.
Read next
- Regulations 1.1–2.2: definitions and referral laboratories
- Regulation 2.4 and Forms A and B: rapid test kits, methods and timelines
- Sampling procedures under FSSAI
- How food samples are collected and tested
Disclaimer: Based on the FSSAI regulations named above as consolidated in FSSAI's compendium versions or as published in the Gazette, with the later notifications the article names (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.