The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a prohibition order for substandard Compounded Hing manufactured by M/s Everest Food Products Private Limited and M/s Laljee Godhoo and Company.
On August 29, 2026, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) took action against two prominent spice brands, M/s Everest Food Products Private Limited and M/s Laljee Godhoo and Company (LG Brand Unit), due to substandard Compounded Hing (Asafoetida). This decision was made following a consumer complaint about the quality of a specific brand. The FSSAI conducted extensive market surveillance, which revealed that Compounded Hing products from both Everest and LG were below standard.
Further investigation involved legal sampling from the centrally licensed units of M/s Everest Food Products Private Limited and the LG Brand Unit in Mumbai. These samples were sent to a primary laboratory for testing, and the FSSAI also collaborated with the Gujarat State FDA for joint inspections at the state-licensed unit of Everest Food Products in Umbergaon, Gujarat.
Primary laboratory results confirmed that all legal samples of Compounded Hing collected during these operations were substandard. The tested Compounded Hing samples contained only 0-3% alcohol soluble extract, falling significantly short of the mandated 5% minimum. This indicates that manufacturers were adding 30-40% less Raw Hing into consumer products.
Furthermore, the FSSAI found excessive starch content in Raw Hing at the LG Brand Unit in Mumbai. By regulation, starch content in Raw Hing should not exceed 1%, but laboratory results confirmed that all six varieties of LG Raw Hing contained between 15% and 32% starch, classifying them as substandard.
As a result, the FSSAI has formally issued a Prohibition of Sale order to M/s Everest Food Products Private Limited, Mumbai, and the LG Brand Unit, Mumbai. The manufacturers have been advised to submit an action plan detailing how they will rectify these malpractices and ensure standard Compounded Hing production.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
