India's food safety regulator has taken major action against two well-known hing manufacturers after laboratory tests found their products failing to meet prescribed quality standards.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued orders stopping the sale of compounded hing, or compounded asafoetida, manufactured by Everest Food Products Private Limited and Laljee Godhoo and Company.
The prohibition has come into effect immediately, with the regulator saying the action was taken to protect consumers and ensure compliance with food safety standards.
Everest Hing Variants Put Under Immediate Sales Ban
In the case of Everest Food Products, FSSAI has prohibited the sale of compounded asafoetida and all its variants until further orders.
The action followed laboratory testing of samples collected from the company's manufacturing units. According to the regulator, the samples did not meet the standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations.
FSSAI said the products were found to be substandard, while some samples were also classified as misbranded.
What Did the Laboratory Tests Find?
The key issue identified during testing was the level of alcohol-soluble extract in the compounded hing products.
Under the prescribed standards, compounded hing must contain at least 5% alcohol-soluble extract. However, laboratory tests found significant deviations from this requirement in samples collected during the investigation.
According to the official findings, some tested samples contained between 0% and 3% alcohol-soluble extract, substantially below the required minimum level.
The regulator said this indicated that the products did not meet the required standards for compounded hing.
FSSAI Conducted Market Surveillance
The action reportedly began after a consumer complaint regarding the quality of a compounded hing product.
Following the complaint, FSSAI expanded its investigation and carried out market surveillance involving major brands selling compounded hing.
After the initial laboratory findings raised concerns, legal samples were collected directly from the centrally licensed manufacturing units of Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo and Company in Mumbai.
FSSAI also conducted a joint inspection with the Gujarat State FDA at Everest's state-licensed unit in Umbergaon, Gujarat.
The laboratory findings from the legal samples collected during these operations also found the tested compounded hing products to be substandard.
Action Also Taken Against Laljee Godhoo
The regulator has taken similar action against Laljee Godhoo and Company, commonly associated with the LG Brand Unit.
Samples of the company's compounded hing products, including powder and lump varieties, were found not to conform to the prescribed standards.
FSSAI also examined several varieties of raw hing used in the manufacturing process at the company's unit.
Excess Starch Found in Raw Hing Samples
One of the major issues identified in the case of Laljee Godhoo involved the starch content in raw hing.
Under FSSAI standards, starch content in raw hing cannot exceed 1% by weight.
However, the regulator said that laboratory tests on six varieties of raw hing collected from the company's unit found starch levels ranging from 15% to 32%.
Based on these findings, the samples were classified as substandard.
Companies Asked to Submit Corrective Plans
FSSAI has directed both businesses to submit detailed action plans explaining how they intend to correct the identified problems and ensure that future products meet the required standards.
The companies have also been advised to begin a voluntary recall of substandard products that may currently be available in the market.
The regulator has made it clear that the purpose of the action is to prevent non-compliant products from reaching consumers and to ensure that food businesses follow the standards laid down under Indian food safety laws.
What Is Compounded Hing?
Compounded hing is a recognised food category under Indian food regulations. It is generally prepared by blending raw hing with permitted ingredients such as gum arabic, starches and flours.
However, the final product must still meet specific quality requirements prescribed by FSSAI.
One of those requirements relates to the minimum level of alcohol-soluble extract, which must be present at not less than 5% in the finished compounded hing product.
Immediate Effect Until Further Orders
The prohibition order means that the affected compounded hing products covered by the FSSAI action cannot be sold until further orders.
The action applies specifically to the products and variants mentioned in the regulator's orders and should not automatically be interpreted as a blanket ban on every product manufactured by the companies.
Consumers are therefore advised to pay attention to official updates regarding the affected products.
Major Step in Food Quality Enforcement
The action against the two companies is among the latest examples of increased scrutiny of food products and manufacturers by India's food safety regulator.
FSSAI has emphasised that food businesses are required to comply with prescribed standards relating to ingredients, quality and labelling.
Failure to meet these requirements can lead to regulatory action, including restrictions on manufacturing and sales.
Conclusion
FSSAI has ordered an immediate halt on the sale of compounded hing products covered under its prohibition orders against Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo and Company after laboratory tests found quality violations.
The investigation found that several samples failed to meet the required standards for alcohol-soluble extract. In the case of Laljee Godhoo, raw hing samples were also found to contain starch levels significantly above the permitted limit.
Both companies have been directed to submit corrective action plans, while the regulator has advised steps to remove non-compliant products from the market. The restrictions will remain in place in accordance with the prohibition orders and until further regulatory directions are issued.