Steviol Glycoside 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.
After the colours in 3.2.1, regulations 3.2.2 to 3.2.8 give identity and purity standards for seven further substances: sweeteners (with a full specification for steviol glycosides), baker's yeast, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, calcium propionate, sodium metabisulphite and potassium metabisulphite. Additive suppliers and food technologists who need to check a certificate of analysis can start with food product approval.
This article reads the text as amended up to 21 October 2024 (FSSAI chapter compendium consolidated to amendment 83; the amendment of 10 July 2025 does not change these regulations). Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in. A compendium is a reference consolidation; the Gazette text prevails.
Sweeteners are classed as caloric or non-caloric by their caloric value against sucrose. Steviol glycosides must be not less than 95% of total steviol glycosides on the dried basis, as substituted on 21 February 2023. The acids, propionate and metabisulphites each have a short purity table. These are specifications for the substances themselves; the levels at which they may be used in food are in Appendix A.
Regulation 3.2.2: sweeteners
The text classifies sweeteners (as food additives) into two groups:
- Caloric sweeteners are substances having greater than 2 percent of the caloric value of sucrose per equivalent unit of sweetening capacity. The list includes sorbitol, sorbitol syrup, mannitol, isomalt, polyglycitol syrup, maltitol, maltitol syrup, lactitol and xylitol.
- Non-caloric sweeteners have less than 2 percent of the caloric value of sucrose per equivalent unit of sweetening capacity. The list includes erythritol, steviol glycoside, thaumatin, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium, aspartame-acesulfame potassium salt and saccharins.
Steviol glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (INS 960). Clause (1), as substituted by the amendment of 21 February 2023, defines the substance as a mixture of compounds with a steviol backbone conjugated to glucose, rhamnose, xylose, fructose, arabinose, galactose or deoxyglucose, obtained from the leaves by hot water extraction, adsorption resin purification and recrystallisation from methanol or aqueous ethanol. The product may be spray-dried. A few specification lines exactly as printed:
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Assay or purity | Not less than 95% of total of steviol glycosides, on the dried basis |
| Description | White to light yellow powder, about 200 - 300 times sweeter than sucrose |
| pH (1 in 100 solution) | Between 4.5 and 7.0 |
| Total ash | Not more than 1% |
| Loss on drying | Not more than 6% (105 °C, 2 h) |
| Residual solvents | Not more than 200 mg/kg methanol and not more than 5000 mg/kg ethanol |
| Arsenic; lead | Not more than 1 mg/kg each |
| Microbiological criteria | Total (aerobic) plate count not more than 1,000 CFU/g; yeasts and moulds not more than 200 CFU/g; E. coli negative per g; Salmonella negative per 25g |
Analysis follows the JECFA monograph (2017), and an appendix lists the chemical information for some steviol glycosides. Purity specifications for the artificial sweeteners saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium and sucralose are in regulation 2.8; see our article on sugar, honey, jaggery and sweeteners. Where steviol glycosides may be used, and at what level, is set by the entries in Appendix A, part IV; the amendment of 10 July 2025 changed one such entry for steviol glycosides in category 14.1.5, as our article on the additive tables records.
Regulation 3.2.3: baker's yeast
Two types are standardised: baker's yeast, compressed, and baker's yeast, dried.
| Characteristic | Compressed | Dried |
|---|---|---|
| Form | block, creamy white, fine even texture; breaks sharply on bending | small powder granules, pellets or flakes |
| Moisture, percent by weight, maximum | 73 | 8 |
| Fermenting power (IS: 1320), minimum | 1000 | 350 |
| Starch of edible quality that may be added | not exceeding 7% by weight on dry basis | not exceeding 10 % by weight |
| Storage | between 1 to 5 °C | cool and dry place, not more than 25 °C |
Dispersibility in water and dough-raising capacity must satisfy the tests under IS: 1320, and the parameters are tested within 24 hours of production. Both types must not be mouldy or show deterioration. The clause adds the usual conditions: permitted additives only, Schedule 4 hygiene, the Contaminants Regulations and the microbiological requirements of Appendix B. Our article on Appendix B explains those tables.
Regulations 3.2.4 to 3.2.8: acids, propionate and metabisulphites
| Regulation | Substance | Defining feature | A few parameters exactly as printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2.4 | Lactic acid (INS 270) | yellowish to colourless syrupy liquid, from fermentation of sugars or synthetic | purity (C3H6O3) not less than 95.0% of the labelled concentration; sulphated ash 0.1 maximum; lead 2 mg/kg |
| 3.2.5 | Ascorbic acid (INS 300) | white or almost white crystalline solid; melting range 190 to 192 °C with decomposition | purity as C6H8O6 99 minimum; pH of 2 % solution 2.4 - 2.8; lead 2 mg/kg |
| 3.2.6 | Calcium propionate (INS 282) | white crystals with a faint odour of propionic acid | purity 98 on dry basis; moisture 5.0 maximum; fluoride 10 mg/kg; lead 5 mg/kg |
| 3.2.7 | Sodium metabisulphite (INS 223) | colourless crystals or white to yellowish powder with an odour of sulphur dioxide | purity as Na2S2O5 95 minimum, as SO2 64 minimum; selenium 5 mg/kg; lead 2 mg/kg |
| 3.2.8 | Potassium metabisulphite (INS 224) | white or colourless crystals, powder or granules | purity as K2S2O5 90 minimum; thiosulphate 0.1 maximum; lead 2 mg/kg |
Each of these substances must be "food grade", prepared and handled under Schedule 4 hygiene guidance, and meet the Contaminants Regulations and the packaging and labelling requirements. Lactic acid also has identification tests under IS: 9971. These parts follow the principle in regulation 3.1 that an additive must conform to its specification as a whole; see our article on the general conditions for food additives.
A practical example
Sweet Leaf Ingredients supplies a stevia extract to beverage makers. The certificate of analysis must show purity of not less than 95% total steviol glycosides on the dried basis, residual methanol and ethanol within the printed limits, arsenic and lead not more than 1 mg/kg each and the microbiological results. A bakery buying compressed yeast checks moisture of not more than 73 percent and fermenting power of at least 1000 within 24 hours of production, and stores the blocks at 1 to 5 °C.
Need help with additive specifications?
Our team can check a supplier's certificate against the printed specification and the Appendix A entry for your product. Start with food product approval. The next group of specifications is in our article on preservatives, antioxidants and thickeners.
Key takeaways
- Sweeteners are classed as caloric or non-caloric by caloric value against sucrose.
- Steviol glycosides need purity of not less than 95% of total steviol glycosides on the dried basis.
- Baker's yeast has two types with different moisture, fermenting power and storage conditions.
- Lactic acid, ascorbic acid, calcium propionate and the two metabisulphites each have a short purity table.
- These parts give purity specifications; use levels are in Appendix A.
Read next
- Regulation 3.2.1: food colours
- Regulations 3.2.9 to 3.2.16: preservatives, antioxidants, thickeners and acidity regulators
- Regulation 2.8: sugar, honey, jaggery and sweeteners
- Food additives and processing aids: permitted list
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.