A new standard has established hygiene, microbiological, packaging, and labelling requirements for edible acid casein, edible rennet casein, and edible caseinates. Products must be manufactured, packaged, stored, and distributed under hygienic conditions in line with applicable food hygiene codes.
The standard sets strict microbiological limits, including the absence of Salmonella spp. in 25 g (n=5, c=0), and zero tolerance for E. coli and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus (n=5, c=2, m=0, M=0). For yeasts and moulds, levels must not exceed 100 cfu/g (m), with a maximum limit of 1,000 cfu/g (M).
In addition, edible casein products must be packed in sealed food-grade packaging materials to prevent contamination during storage and transportation. The regulation also introduces mandatory labelling requirements, including the product designation (edible acid casein, edible rennet casein, or edible caseinate), source of milk (e.g., cow or buffalo), manufacturer details, ingredient list, coagulating agent used, batch number, manufacturing and expiry dates, storage conditions, instructions for use, country of origin, and other traceability information. These measures are intended to strengthen food safety, product quality, and consumer transparency in the edible casein sector.