Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a new advisory regarding food safety. According to this, Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) leaves will no longer be used in any food product, supplement or nutraceutical.
According to FSSAI, under the current rules, only Ashwagandha root and its extract are allowed to be used in food products. However, this strict step has been taken recently after some companies came to know about the use of its leaves. This decision has been taken to ensure the safety of consumers and proper adherence to standards.
FSSAI has clarified in its order that using Ashwagandha leaves in any form, whether raw or extracted, in food products will be considered a violation of the rules. In this regard, a strict warning has been issued to all the food business operators that if anyone does not follow this rule, action will be taken against him under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. Along with this, food safety officers of states and union territories have also been instructed to strictly enforce this rule and ensure immediate action if any irregularity is found. FSSAI has reiterated that consumer safety is of paramount importance and this step has been taken with the aim of maintaining the quality and reliability of Ashwagandha based products available in the market.
Amid increasing demand, some companies ignored the rules
In recent times, there has been a surge in demand for products made from Ashwagandha such as herbal tea, protein powder, nutrition drinks and other wellness supplements. Amidst this increasing popularity, there have been complaints of some companies using Ashwagandha leaves and their extracts ignoring the rules, which is considered against the food safety standards.
In view of this issue, the Ministry of AYUSH has also adopted a strict stance and has given clear instructions to the companies manufacturing Ayurvedic medicines and wellness products not to use Ashwagandha leaves. The objective of these steps is to ensure the safety of consumers and maintain the quality and reliability of the products available in the market.
Comments are closed.