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FSSAI bans sale of compounded hing by Everest and Laljee Godhoo
Everest samples recorded 0 per cent alcohol-soluble extract against the 5 per cent standard
MUMBAI: This time, the hing has come with a warning and it is anything but subtle. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued prohibition orders against Everest Food Products Private Limited and Laljee Godhoo and Company, citing violations in the manufacture and sale of compounded hing, or asafoetida.
In the case of Everest, samples of compounded asafoetida were found to be “Misbranded and Sub-standard” by the primary food laboratory. FSSAI said the products also failed to meet the requirements of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
The key issue was the level of alcohol-soluble extract, a parameter used to assess compounded hing. FSSAI said some samples recorded just 0.00 per cent, against the prescribed minimum of 5 per cent.
The regulator also found Yellow Hing Powder and Black Hing Powder to be sub-standard, with alcohol-soluble extract levels of 3.29 per cent and 4.4 per cent, respectively.
Routine surveillance samples collected by the regulator were also found to be non-compliant on the same parameter. FSSAI said testing of asafoetida samples gathered from different sources and locations showed a consistent pattern of products containing less than the required 5 per cent alcoholic extract.
The action against Everest follows other compliance concerns flagged by the regulator during earlier reviews of products including Chicken Masala, Garam Masala and Egg Curry Powder. These included non-declaration of salt content exceeding 5 per cent and failure to declare spice content on labels.
FSSAI separately cited Laljee Godhoo and Company for violations linked to both the manufacture and sale of compounded hing.
Samples of the company’s compounded hing, in both powder and lump forms, were found to be sub-standard and non-compliant. The products were also classified as “Misbranded and Sub-standard”.
The regulator further found that raw hing varieties A, B, C, D, E and F, used by the company to manufacture compounded hing, were sub-standard because of excessive starch.
Under the applicable regulation, starch in hing must not exceed 1 per cent by weight. FSSAI said the raw materials tested exceeded the prescribed requirement.
According to the regulator, market surveillance, legal sampling and non-conforming test reports covering raw materials indicated that the violations were pervasive across batches of compounded hing.
As a result, the sale of compounded asafoetida by Everest and compounded hing by Laljee Godhoo has been prohibited with immediate effect until further orders.
FSSAI has also directed both food business operators to submit action plans to address the identified malpractice and ensure that products manufactured and sold comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
