The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has recommended fixing limits of authorized lead content in a wide range of products including salt, fruits, juices, vegetables, pulses and meat products, after Maggi was termed 'unsafe and hazardous', failing the test of presence of lead and monosodium glutamate above permissible limits. Lead is a highly toxic metal and a very strong poison. Its poisoning can cause severe mental and physical impairment.
FSSAI has revised the existing regulations and has come out with draft norms seeking public comments within 60 days. In this draft the lead content for food items such as fruits, vegetables, canned juices, milk, salt, fish, poultry, meat and pulses among others has been specified. The regulator has also added the food items such as, salt, jam, fish, mineral water under the mandatory agreement of maximum limit of the heavy metals like tin, arsenic and cadmium.
FSSAI had last came out with a regulation in august 2011 specifying the authorized limits of heavy metal contaminants, toxins, and residues in food items.