FSSAI bars Everest and Laljee Godhoo from selling non-compliant hing
Food regulator FSSAI has issued prohibition orders against Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo after tests found their compounded asafoetida products below the mandated 5% alcohol-soluble extract threshold.
What happened
Everest Food Products Private Limited · FSSAI issued prohibition orders against Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo over non-compliant compounded hing and
Key facts
- Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
- minimum 5% alcohol-soluble extract requirement
- 0% in one compounded asafoetida sample
- 3.29% in yellow hing powder sample
- 4.4% in black hing powder sample
Why this matters
The enforcement action makes quality-assurance diligence and regulatory-track-record reviews more critical for any investment, partnership, or acquisition involving food brands.
What to watch
- FSSAI publication of the specific prohibited SKUs, batch numbers, states, and duration of prohibition orders.
- Follow-up testing outcomes and whether either company receives permission to resume sales.
- New FSSAI sampling notices or enforcement actions involving other compounded hing brands.
- Marketplace and modern-trade delistings, recalls, consumer complaints, or distributor return activity.
- Changes in shelf pricing, promotions, and availability for Everest, Laljee Godhoo, and competing hing brands.
- Immediately quarantine, recall, or delist the named non-compliant hing SKUs across distributors, retailers, and e-commerce marketplaces.
- Submit corrective-action plans, revised formulation specifications, and fresh laboratory test results to FSSAI.
- Audit alcohol-soluble extract levels and supplier documentation across all hing and compounded-spice batches, not only the cited products.
- Prepare retailer and consumer communications distinguishing affected SKUs from compliant products.
- Retail buyers should require updated certificates of analysis and strengthen indemnity and return terms for spice suppliers.