New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has temporarily banned the sale of asafoetida (hing) manufactured by Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo after laboratory tests found the products to be of substandard quality.
The food safety regulator has directed both companies to explain the reported violations and submit detailed action plans to ensure their products comply with prescribed standards.
Hing samples fail mandatory quality tests
The action followed a consumer complaint that led FSSAI to conduct surveillance of leading hing brands. Samples collected from the manufacturing facilities of both companies in Mumbai, along with Everest’s facility in Umbergaon, Gujarat, failed laboratory tests.
Under existing standards, compounded hing — a blended powder containing edible starches or flour — must have at least 5 per cent alcohol-soluble extract.
However, the tested samples contained only 0 to 3 per cent, according to FSSAI. The regulator said this indicated that the products contained significantly less raw hing than required under the prescribed standards.
Excess starch found in raw hing
FSSAI also found major compliance concerns in six varieties of raw hing collected from Laljee Godhoo’s manufacturing unit.
The samples reportedly contained between 15 and 32 per cent starch, substantially higher than the permitted maximum of 1 per cent.
The manufacturers have been advised to voluntarily recall the affected substandard batches available in the market. The temporary ban will remain in place until the prescribed requirements are met.
Other Everest spice products flagged
Apart from hing, FSSAI identified non-compliance issues in three other Everest products — egg curry masala, chicken masala and garam masala.
However, the regulator has not imposed a ban on these three spice blends.
The action comes amid wider discussions around food safety and transparency, including FSSAI’s recent proposal for a prominent warning label on packaged foods containing excessive sugar, salt or saturated fat