India's food safety regulator has barred two major manufacturers from selling hing (asafoetida) powder after laboratory tests found the products did not meet prescribed standards. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued prohibition orders against Everest Food Products Pvt Ltd and Laljee Godhoo and Company, according to a social media post reported by PTI.
In the case of Everest, FSSAI prohibited the sale of compounded asafoetida (hing powder) variants with immediate effect. The regulator said samples of Compounded Asafoetida (Hing Powder) were found to be "Misbranded and Sub-standard" by the Food Analyst of the primary food laboratory. The products were in contravention of the FSS (Food Products and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, as the alcohol-soluble extract was 0 per cent against the prescribed standard of not less than 5 per cent. Samples of Yellow Hing Powder and Black Hing Powder were also found sub-standard, with alcoholic extract reported at 29 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.
FSSAI has asked Everest to submit an action plan to rectify what it called the continued malpractice of selling substandard compounded hing and to ensure the sale of standard products as licensed under the FSS Act, 2006. The regulator warned of further action if the company does not rectify the mistakes.
For Laljee Godhoo, FSSAI said the company had been prohibited from selling hing powder after it was found to be sub-standard and adulterated, in contravention of FSSAI regulations. Samples of Compounded Hing (Powder and Lump) were found sub-standard and not conforming to the prescribed standards. According to India Today, six varieties of raw hing collected from the Laljee Godhoo unit contained between 15 and 32 per cent starch, far above the permitted maximum of 1 per cent.
The regulator also detected non-compliance in Everest's egg curry masala, chicken masala and garam masala, but these three products have not been banned.
FSSAI said it initiated surveillance of major hing brands following a consumer complaint. Samples collected from the companies' manufacturing units in Mumbai and Everest's unit in Umbergaon, Gujarat, failed to meet the prescribed standards. Under existing regulations, compounded hing must contain at least 5 per cent alcohol-soluble extract; tests found the samples contained only 0 to 3 per cent, indicating the manufacturers were using 30 to 40 per cent less raw hing than required, according to India Today.
Both companies have been directed to explain the violations and submit action plans detailing how they will comply with the prescribed standards. They have also been advised to voluntarily recall substandard products already in the market. The ban will remain in force until they comply with the regulations.
The action comes as FSSAI told the Supreme Court that it has proposed a bright red, hexagonal warning label on the front of packaged foods containing excessive levels of sugar, salt or saturated fat. The proposal was submitted days after a Supreme Court bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala reprimanded FSSAI and the government over delays in introducing front-of-pack warning labels.