New Delhi: – A sample of red chilli powder manufactured at the manufacturing unit of Patanjali Foods in Uttarakhand has been declared unsafe, the Central Government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.
According to the report, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav said in a written reply, ‘During the sampling campaign conducted on spices in the year 2024–25, a sample of red chilli powder taken from the manufacturing unit of Patanjali Foods in Uttarakhand was found to be unsafe, as the level of pesticide residues found in it was more than the prescribed maximum residue limit (MRL).’
He said that based on the test findings, the concerned authority issued a recall order, following which the concerned Food Business Operator (FBO) initiated the process of withdrawing the affected product from the market.
However, the minister also clarified that no sample of any product of the Amul brand has been found unsafe against the standards laid down in the Food Safety and Standards Regulations.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra’s question on what steps the government is taking to ensure that only quality-tested and safe food products are available to consumers in the market.
The minister said, ‘The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is entrusted with the responsibility of setting science-based standards for food items and regulating their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, so as to ensure the availability of safe and nutritious food for human consumption.’
He said that the responsibility for implementation and enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is shared between the Central and State Governments.
The Minister further informed that to ensure compliance with the prescribed standards, limits and other statutory requirements, FSSAI, its regional offices and State/UT Food Safety Authorities conduct local/targeted special enforcement and monitoring operations regularly throughout the year, including National Annual Surveillance Plan (NASP), inspection and sampling activities.
He said, ‘If any negligence in standards or violation of Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR) is found, then regulatory action, including punitive measures, is taken against the concerned erring Food Business Operators (FBOs) under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and related rules.’
It is noteworthy that earlier this month it was revealed that the sample of ghee manufactured by Patanjali had failed in the quality control test, due to which a local court of Uttarakhand imposed a fine on the company. According to reports, both national and state level labs found adulteration in the ghee, following which the authorities imposed a total fine of over Rs 1.40 lakh on the manufacturer as well as its distributor and retailer.
Patanjali Foods operates in the FMCG sector and sells a range of edible oils and packaged foods including biscuits, noodles and sugar.
Let us inform you that in January this year, FSSAI had directed Patanjali Foods to withdraw a batch of its red chilli powder due to non-compliance with quality standards. At that time, the company’s CEO Sanjeev Asthana had said in a statement, ‘Patanjali Foods has withdrawn four tonnes of small batch (200 gram pack) of red chilli powder from the market.’
After this, in May 2024, the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand sentenced three people, including an assistant manager of Patanjali Ayurveda Limited, to six months in jail after Soan Papdi failed the quality test. Fine was also imposed on all three.
Earlier, the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority had suspended the manufacturing licenses of 14 products of Patanjali Ayurveda Limited and Divya Pharmacy with immediate effect for repeated violations of the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, 1945.
The drugs whose manufacturing licenses were suspended included ‘Swasari Gold’, ‘Swasari Vati’, ‘Bronchom’, ‘Swasari Pravahi’, ‘Swasari Awaleh’, ‘Mukta Vati Extra Power’, ‘Lipidome’, ‘BP Grit’, ‘Madhugrit’, ‘Madhunashini Vati Extra Power’, ‘Livamrit Advance’, ‘Livogrit’, ‘Igrit Gold’ and ‘Patanjali Drishti Eye Drop’ was included.
It is noteworthy that the domestic spice industry came under scrutiny last year after the sale of some products of spice makers MDH and Everest was suspended in Hong Kong and Singapore after allegedly high levels of cancer-causing pesticides were found in them. The government also started inspecting companies to ensure compliance with quality standards.
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