Ayurveda Aahara 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.
Schedule A names the authoritative books from which Ayurveda Aahara recipes and ingredients may be drawn. Schedule B sorts products into categories A, B, B1 and B2 and states, for each, the ingredients and process permitted, the safety data needed and the approval route for health benefit and disease risk reduction claims.
The text is read as amended up to 5 May 2022 (the Regulations as notified; no amendment listed; FSSAI Order of 25 July 2025 on category A products). FSSAI publications are reference copies and the Gazette text prevails. Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in. Producers can look at our food product approval service for dossiers and approvals.
Schedule A lists 71 authoritative books, with two notes on which editions and parts count. Schedule B has four categories: A (as in the books; no prior approval of the product), B (a new recipe or new ingredients; safety data required), B1 (a different format; rationale and efficacy data) and B2 (for a specific medical purpose). The FSSAI Order of 25 July 2025 issues the list of category A products under Note 1.
Schedule A: authoritative books
Schedule A, headed "List of authoritative books* for Ayurveda Aahara", is referred to by regulation 2(b). It runs from serial 1 (Abhinava Chintamani) to serial 71 (Yogaratna Samgraha). A few entries as printed: serial 5 Ashtanga Hridaya, serial 23 Charak Samhita, serial 53 Sharangdhara Samhita, serial 60 Sushruta Samhita, and serial 13 Ayurvedic Formulary of India.
Two notes qualify the list:
- Note 1. Ingredients and recipes listed in the above editions of authoritative books, and those authoritative texts published before 1940, shall be considered by the Food Authority for approval as Ayurveda Aahara.
- Note 2. Ingredients and recipes listed in an Appendix or Annexure to the authoritative texts in Schedule A shall not be considered by the Food Authority for approvals as Ayurveda Aahara.
Schedule B: categories and regulatory requirements
Schedule B is referred to by regulation 3(1). Its columns are: (1) category, (2) description, (3) ingredients permitted and process, (4) safety data (prior approval of product), (5) label claim: health benefit, and (6) label claim: disease risk reduction.
| Category | Description | Ingredients and process | Safety data (prior approval of product) | Health benefit claim | Disease risk reduction claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Ayurveda Aahara prepared in accordance with the authoritative Ayurveda texts in books listed in Schedule A | As provided in the authoritative texts in books listed in Schedule A | Not Required | Prior approval of the Food Authority not required if the claim is as per the authoritative texts in books listed in Schedule A | Evidence based prior approval of the Food Authority required |
| B | A new recipe of Ayurveda Aahara using ingredients listed in the authoritative texts, along with other botanicals used in Ayurveda dietetic principles (viz. Rasa, Guna, Virya, Vipaka and Karma) | Text reference required for using a new recipe or ingredient(s) provided in the authoritative books | Required (rationale, and safety data, including mutagenicity, carcinogenicity and teratogenicity testing, of the new recipe or ingredient(s), or supporting published modern scientific evidence) | Prior approval required based on the authoritative texts in books listed in Schedule A | Evidence based prior approval of the Food Authority required |
| B1 | Ayurveda Aahara presented in a format different from that specified in the authoritative texts | As provided in the authoritative texts (see explanatory note) | Not Required | Rationale and efficacy data of the new format, including the target population, required for prior approval of the Food Authority | Evidence based prior approval of the Food Authority required |
| B2 | Ayurveda Aahara intended to provide a health benefit, or as an adjuvant, to support a specific disease condition or disorder specified or not specified in the texts (Ayurveda Aahara for Specific Medical Purpose) | As provided in the authoritative texts | Not Required | Rationale and efficacy data for the specific medical purpose, including the target population, required for prior approval | Evidence based prior approval of the Food Authority required |
Two notes follow the table:
- Note 1. The Food Authority may provide a list of Ayurveda Aahara covered under category A from time to time; additions, deletions or modifications shall be informed to the public. Food Business Operators manufacturing such products may approach the licensing authority without need of any prior approval of the Authority. For category A products that are not mentioned in the list, the operator shall request the Food Authority for inclusion by submitting relevant literature from the authoritative texts in Schedule A.
- Note 2. The mere adoption of the Ayurveda Aahara in a format suitable to offer it pre-packaged, including concentration and drying for reconstitution prior to use, may not constitute a change in format.
The Order of 25 July 2025: category A list
Under Note 1, FSSAI issued an Order dated 25 July 2025 (file SS-T0SP05(EC)/2/2022-Standard-FSSAI), in consultation with the Ministry of Ayush, providing the Ayurveda Aahara covered under category A, with a copy of the list enclosed, for facilitating operators in manufacturing Ayurveda Aahara. The Order is an order under Note 1 and is not an amendment to the Regulations. It repeats that for a category A product not mentioned in the list, the operator shall request inclusion by submitting relevant literature from the Schedule A books, and that any changes will be notified separately. It gives an email address for queries (ayurveda-aahara@fssai.gov.in). A product should be checked against the enclosed list on fssai.gov.in before it is treated as category A.
How to use the Schedule
- Find the recipe and ingredient in a Schedule A book (and note the edition and appendix limits).
- If it matches an entry on the category A list, it is category A: no prior approval of the product, and health claims as per the books need no prior approval.
- If it is a new recipe or ingredient, it is category B and needs safety data.
- If it is in a different format from the book, it is category B1.
- If it is meant to support a specific condition, it is category B2.
- Any disease risk reduction claim needs evidence-based prior approval in every category.
The approval route itself is regulation 10 and the Approval for Non-Specified Food Regulations; see regulations 9 to 14 and the article on the approval procedure. Regulation 8 still bars claims of preventing, treating or curing a human disease; see regulations 1 to 8.
An invented example
Dhanvantari Foods makes a ginger and jaggery digestive drink following a recipe in Charak Samhita (serial 23). If it appears on the category A list, the company approaches the licensing authority without prior approval of the product. A new variant adds a botanical used in Ayurvedic dietetics but not named in the books: that is category B, needing a text reference and safety data. A powdered sachet of the original recipe, simply dried for reconstitution, is not a change of format under Note 2, so remains category A. A version designed to support a particular digestive condition would be category B2, needing rationale and efficacy data.
Need help with category and approval?
Choosing the category correctly saves months: it decides the safety data, the claims and the approval route. Our food product approval team can map the recipe to the Schedule A texts and prepare the file.
Key takeaways
- Schedule A has 71 authoritative books; appendices and annexures to them are excluded, and texts before 1940 count.
- Category A needs no prior approval of the product; B needs safety data; B1 and B2 need rationale and efficacy data.
- Disease risk reduction claims need evidence-based prior approval in all categories.
- The Order of 25 July 2025 issues the category A list under Note 1; it is an order, not an amendment.
- Drying or concentrating for pre-packaging is not a change in format (Note 2).
Read next
- Regulations 9–14: claims, approval and labelling
- Regulations 1–8: definitions and general requirements
- Schedules C, D and E: additives, standards and logo
- Ayurveda Aahara regulations: an overview
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.