India Cracks Down on Food Safety Violations Involving Major Asafoetida Brands
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has enforced an immediate ban on the sale of compounded asafoetida products from two prominent companies, M/s Everest Food Products Private Limited and M/s Laljee Godhoo and Company. This regulatory action follows rigorous laboratory testing that revealed the products were both misbranded and significantly substandard. In the case of Everest, tests indicated that their asafoetida variants failed to meet the mandatory alcohol-soluble extract thresholds, with some samples showing levels as low as zero percent, far below the required five percent minimum. Furthermore, the regulator noted a history of labeling inconsistencies across several other Everest spice products.
Similarly, M/s Laljee Godhoo and Company faced prohibition orders after their compounded hing and asafoetida failed to comply with the Food Products and Food Additives Regulations of 2011. Investigators discovered that the raw materials used in their production contained starch levels well beyond the legal limit of one percent by weight. Both companies have been instructed to halt all sales of the affected goods immediately and are required to submit comprehensive action plans to the FSSAI. These plans must outline specific corrective measures to ensure that future manufacturing processes align with national safety standards before they are permitted to resume distribution.