Regulations 2 4 7 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.
This block of the cereals chapter covers processed cereal foods: maize starch, corn flakes, custard powder, pasta and instant noodles, malted foods and formulated supplements for children, oat products, solvent-extracted flours, starchy foods such as sago, bakery products (biscuit, bread, rusk) and expeller-pressed groundnut flour. Bakeries, noodle makers and packaged-food brands will find their product here. Makers can start with FSSAI registration for food manufacturers.
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 this chapter). Later notifications should be checked on fssai.gov.in. A compendium is a reference consolidation; the Gazette text prevails.
Most of these standards are short: a definition and three or four parameters such as moisture, acid insoluble ash and acidity. Biscuits, for instance, need ash insoluble in dilute HCl of not more than 0.1 per cent on dry mass basis and acidity of extracted fat of not more than 2.0 per cent as oleic acid. Fried instant noodles need moisture of not more than 10.0 per cent and non-fried 13.0 per cent. Additives follow Appendix A and microbiology follows Appendix B, and several clauses restate this.
The standards at a glance
| Clause | Product | Defining feature | A few parameters exactly as printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4.7 | Maize (corn) starch | starch from maize, white, no added colour or flavour | moisture 12.0; starch not less than 98.0; sulphur dioxide not more than 70.0 ppm |
| 2.4.8 | Corn flakes | dehulled, degermed, cooked corn, flaked and toasted | moisture 7.5 maximum |
| 2.4.9 | Custard powder | from maize or sago or tapioca, may contain permitted colours and flavours | moisture not more than 12.5% |
| 2.4.10 | Pasta products; instant noodles | kneaded dough from suji, maida, rice flour and others; instant noodles are pregelatinised and dehydrated | pasta moisture 12.5; fried noodles 10.0, non-fried 13.0 |
| 2.4.11 | Malted milk food, malt based foods, malt extract, formulated supplements for children | malt-based powders and extracts | malted milk food moisture not more than 5 per cent by weight |
| 2.4.12 | Oat products | rolled oats and products containing oats | moisture not more than 12.0 |
| 2.4.13 | Solvent extracted flours | soya, groundnut, sesame, coconut and cotton seed flours | hexane (food grade) not more than 10.00 ppm |
| 2.4.14 | Starchy foods | arrowroot; tapioca sago | sago moisture 12.0; starch not less than 96.0 |
| 2.4.15 | Bakery products | biscuit; bread and bread-type products such as rusks | biscuit ash insoluble in dilute HCl 0.1 |
| 2.4.16 | Expeller pressed flour | expeller pressed edible groundnut flour | moisture not more than 9.0; protein not less than 45 |
Pasta, noodles and malted foods: 2.4.10 and 2.4.11
Pasta products are made from suji, maida, rice flour, groundnut flour, tapioca flour, soy flour or other cereal flours, with permitted additions such as milk powder, vegetables, eggs and spices. The standard prints moisture of not more than 12.5 per cent and ash insoluble in dilute HCl of not more than 0.1 per cent. Instant noodles, as substituted by amendment, are characterised by pregelatinisation and dehydration either by frying or by other methods, and must be presented as "Fried noodles" or "Non-fried noodles". The acid value of fried noodles is not more than 2.0, and any seasoning that comes with the noodles must be labelled distinctly on the package.
Clause 2.4.11 has four parts. Malted milk food is a powder, granule or flake made from milk and malt wort with no added starch (apart from that natural to cocoa), no added non-milk fat, no preservative and no added colour; the table prints total protein not less than 12.5 per cent without cocoa and 11.25 per cent with cocoa. Malt based foods (malt food) have moisture of not more than 5 per cent and total protein of not less than 7.0 per cent. Malt extract comes in three types (diastatic, non diastatic and brewery grade), with density, refractive index, total solids and a negative starch test. Formulated supplements for children aged above 24 months till 36 months are the fourth part: it specifies raw materials, a table of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients with minimum and maximum levels, energy density of at least 4 kilo calories per gram on dry basis, moisture of not more than 8.0 per cent, a table of permitted additives, and labelling conditions. These products may not be presented as "Energy food" or "Health food", the label may not refer to malnourished children, and it must say they complement family foods and breast milk or breast milk substitutes. A variation of minus 10.0 per cent from the declared nutrient value is allowed. For the infant and young child regime see our sister article on the definitions in the Foods for Infant Nutrition Regulations.
Oats, solvent-extracted flours and starchy foods: 2.4.12 to 2.4.14
Rolled or flaked oats must be in flakes of uniform size, light cream colour, with no added colour, rancidity or flavouring agents. The table has moisture of not more than 12.0 per cent for both rolled oats and products containing oats, protein not less than 10.0 per cent for rolled oats and alcoholic acidity of not more than 0.18 per cent. Products containing oats may have a long list of permitted ingredients, and the additives rule allows Appendix A additives for the right food category.
Solvent extracted flours (soya, groundnut, sesame, coconut and cotton seed) each have a table with moisture, ash, protein, crude fibre, fat, bacterial count, coliform bacteria, Salmonella and hexane. Soya flour needs protein of not less than 48 per cent on dry basis; cotton seed flour has limits on gossypol, both the unbound form and total. Starchy foods are arrowroot and tapioca sago. Tapioca sago is hard, clean globules or pearls with a table covering moisture, ash, starch, protein, crude fibre, pH, colour on the Lovibond scale, sulphur dioxide (not more than 100 ppm) and no colouring matter; palm sago starch is also covered.
Bakery products: 2.4.15
Biscuit is a baked product, leavened or not, coated or uncoated, centre-filled partly or wholly, including wafers, cookies, crackers, sandwich biscuits and cream biscuits and variants with low fat or low sugar. It may be made from cereals, millets, pulses or mixtures with a long list of permitted ingredients. Bread and bread-type products such as rusks are baked from atta or maida, water, salt, yeast or another leavening medium, and may contain trehalose up to a maximum of 10% and oligofructose up to a maximum of 15%.
| Parameter | Biscuit | Bread | Rusk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash insoluble in dilute HCl, % on dry mass basis | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Acidity of extracted fat as oleic acid, % | 2.0 | not set | 1.5 |
| Alcoholic acidity (90 percent alcohol) | not set | not more than 7.5 ml 1N NaOH per 100 gram of dried substance | not set |
Our sister article on bread and other Schedule II label statements covers the label side for bread, and our post on FSSAI compliance for bakery businesses covers licensing. The wider overview is in our article on bakery and confectionery standards.
A practical example
Delhi Crunch makes cream biscuits and rusks. Its laboratory tests extracted fat acidity and ash insoluble in dilute HCl on each batch. Biscuits are checked against 2.0 per cent and 0.1 per cent, and rusks against 1.5 per cent and 0.2 per cent. The rusk and biscuit tables differ, so a single control sheet would be a mistake.
Where to read more
The staple flours and grains are in our article on atta, maida, besan and food grains, and millet flours, soy products and papad continue in the next article.
Need help with cereal products?
Our team can map your product to the right clause and review its label and licence category through FSSAI registration for food manufacturers.
Key takeaways
- Biscuit, bread and rusk each have a short table of ash and fat acidity limits.
- Instant noodles are presented as fried or non-fried, with different moisture limits.
- Malted foods and formulated supplements for children share clause 2.4.11.
- Solvent-extracted flours carry a hexane limit of not more than 10.00 ppm.
- Tapioca sago has a starch minimum of 96.0 and a sulphur dioxide cap.
Read next
- Regulations 2.4.1 to 2.4.6: atta, maida, besan and food grains
- Regulations 2.4.17 to 2.4.40: millet flours, soy products and papad
- Bakery and confectionery standards
- FSSAI compliance for bakery businesses
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.