The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has temporarily banned the sale of hing (asafoetida) manufactured by Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo after laboratory tests found the products to be substandard.
The 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.
FSSAI also detected non-compliance in Everest’s egg curry masala, chicken masala and garam masala. However, these three products have not been banned.
In a statement, FSSAI said it began 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 that the samples contained only 0 to 3 per cent, indicating that the manufacturers were using 30 to 40 per cent less raw hing than required, the food safety regulator said.
Six varieties of raw hing collected from the Laljee Godhoo unit were also found to contain between 15 and 32 per cent starch, far above the permitted maximum of 1 per cent.
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.
The proposed changes have intensified the debate over the responsibility of food companies to clearly disclose the health risks associated with their products. Clearer labels are intended to help consumers identify products with high levels of sugar, salt or saturated fat and make more informed choices.
