NEW DELHI: The humble pinch of hing used in Indian kitchens has come under the scanner, with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issuing prohibition orders against Everest Food Products Private Limited and Laljee Godhoo and Company over non-compliance in compounded hing and asafoetida products. In a social media post, the food regulator said it had issued prohibition orders against the two companies under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. For Everest, samples of compounded asafoetida, yellow hing powder and black hing powder were found non-compliant with prescribed alcohol-soluble extract requirements. One sample recorded “zero per cent”, against required minimum of 5%, while yellow and black hing powder samples recorded 3.29% and 4.4%, respectively.The food regulator cited earlier compliance reviews that found violations in chicken masala, garam masala and egg curry powder, including label-declaration issues.
