The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has prohibited the sale of certain compounded hing products from Everest Food Products Private Limited and Laljee Godhoo and Company, citing quality and labelling violations.
The orders follow regulatory testing and surveillance of compounded hing, or asafoetida, along with reviews of other food products, according to FSSAI.
For Everest Food Products, FSSAI said samples of compounded asafoetida were classified by a primary food laboratory as “Misbranded and Sub-standard.” The regulator said the samples did not meet requirements under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
One of the parameters cited by FSSAI was the alcohol-soluble extract in compounded asafoetida. According to the regulator, some samples recorded an extract level of 0.00%, compared with the prescribed minimum of 5%. Yellow Hing Powder and Black Hing Powder samples were also reported to have levels of 3.29% and 4.4%, respectively.
FSSAI said surveillance samples collected during routine checks also failed to meet the prescribed requirement for alcohol-soluble extract.
The regulator also referred to earlier compliance reviews involving Everest products, including Chicken Masala, Garam Masala and Egg Curry Powder. The cited issues included non-declaration of salt content above 5% and the absence of declared spice content on labels, according to FSSAI.
FSSAI said samples of asafoetida collected from different sources and locations showed a pattern of non-compliance with the prescribed alcohol-soluble extract requirement.
In the case of Laljee Godhoo and Company, FSSAI cited violations related to the manufacture and sale of compounded hing. Samples in both powder and lump forms were classified as “Misbranded and Sub-standard” by the regulator and were reported as not meeting prescribed requirements.
FSSAI also said raw hing varieties identified as A, B, C, D, E and F and used in the manufacture of compounded hing were found to contain excessive starch. Under the applicable regulation, starch in hing is required to remain within the prescribed limit of 1% by weight, according to the regulator.
The regulator said its assessment was based on market surveillance, legal sampling and test reports relating to raw materials used in the manufacturing process.
Following the findings, FSSAI ordered that the sale of compounded asafoetida and compounded hing by the two companies be “prohibited with immediate effect till further orders.”
The regulator has also directed the companies to submit corrective action plans addressing the identified issues and ensuring compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The orders are regulatory actions based on FSSAI's findings and directions. The companies' products remain subject to the regulator's further orders and compliance process.