FSSAI Prohibits Sale of Hing Powder by Everest and Laljee Godhoo

NEW DELHI — Food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) announced on Saturday that it has prohibited Everest Food Products Pvt Ltd and Laljee Godhoo and Company from selling their compounded asafoetida, commonly known as hing powder, after laboratory tests found the products to be sub-standard.

In a social media announcement, the food safety authority stated that it had issued prohibition orders against both Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo and Company. The action follows findings by a primary food laboratory analyst who classified the examined samples of compounded asafoetida as both misbranded and sub-standard.

In the case of Everest Food Products, the FSSAI prohibited the sale of variants of its compounded asafoetida with immediate effect. Testing revealed that the products violated the provisions established under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Specifically, the alcohol-soluble extract in the tested samples was recorded at 0 per cent, failing to meet the mandatory regulatory threshold of not less than 5 per cent.

Additional product samples tested by the authorities also failed to meet the required quality benchmarks. The food safety regulator noted that samples of Yellow Hing Powder and Black Hing Powder were found to be sub-standard as well. Laboratory analysis showed their alcoholic extract levels at 3.29 per cent and 4.4 per cent, respectively, both falling below the legally mandated standard.

The prohibition orders apply to the affected variants produced by both companies following the laboratory test determinations.