FSSAI prohibits sale of Everest and Laljee Godhoo hing products over safety violations

FSSAI has prohibited the sale of compounded asafoetida products by Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo after surveillance and legal sampling allegedly found them sub-standard, misbranded or adulterated. Both firms have been directed to submit corrective action plans and ensure compliance

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has prohibited the sale of compounded asafoetida (hing powder) by Everest Food Products Private Limited and Laljee Godhoo over alleged non-compliance with prescribed food safety standards, the regulator said on Saturday.

Taking to the social media platform X, the food safety regulator said it had issued prohibition orders against the two firms under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, following surveillance and legal sampling that found compounded hing products to be sub-standard and, in some cases, misbranded or adulterated.

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In the case of Everest Food Products, samples of compounded asafoetida (hing powder) and its variants were found to be misbranded and sub-standard by the Food Analyst of the primary food laboratory.

FSSAI said the alcohol-soluble extract in one sample was found to be 0 per cent against the prescribed minimum standard of 5 per cent. Samples of Yellow Hing Powder and Black Hing Powder were also found to be sub-standard, with alcoholic extract levels of 3.29 per cent and 4.4 per cent, respectively.

The regulator said routine surveillance had also found non-compliance with the prescribed alcoholic extract parameter.

Previous regulatory compliance reviews of products including Chicken Masala, Garam Masala and Egg Curry Powder had also identified labelling-related non-compliances, it added.

FSSAI said consistent non-compliance had been observed in samples of asafoetida collected from various sources and locations, with products found to contain less than the prescribed 5 per cent alcoholic extract.

The sale of compounded asafoetida with all its variants by Everest Food Products has therefore been prohibited with immediate effect until further orders.

In the case of Laljee Godhoo, samples of compounded hing and compounded asafoetida, in powder and lump forms, were found to be sub-standard and not conforming to prescribed requirements.

Raw hing varieties used in manufacturing the compounded product were also found to be sub-standard due to excess starch. FSSAI regulations prescribe that starch content in hing should not exceed 1 per cent by weight.

The regulator said the violations were considered pervasive across batches based on market surveillance, legal sampling and test reports of raw materials.

Both firms have been directed to submit action plans for rectification and ensure that only standard products are manufactured and sold. FSSAI said further action would be initiated under the law if satisfactory compliance is not established.