The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered an immediate halt to the sale of Nestle’s Low Fat Dairy Whitener after a sample collected from a luxury hotel in the national capital was found to be “unsafe” and “substandard”.
The sample was collected from Bharat Hotels Ltd, which operates The Lalit in Connaught Place, New Delhi. According to FSSAI, laboratory analysis found that the product failed to comply with requirements prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Following the test results, the food regulator issued directions prohibiting the sale of the product with immediate effect.
FSSAI said the Food Analyst’s report categorized the sample as both “unsafe” and “substandard”. A copy of the laboratory findings was also provided to the food business operator for necessary action.
The regulator subsequently issued a notice to Bharat Hotels Ltd over the non-compliant product and directed the establishment to stop its sale immediately.
Under the provisions of the food safety law, the food business operator was given an opportunity to challenge the laboratory findings by filing an appeal within the stipulated period.
The latest action comes after FSSAI had earlier prohibited the sale of certain compounded hing (asafoetida) products manufactured by Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo and Company after samples failed to meet prescribed standards. That action followed market surveillance initiated after a consumer complaint.
According to the regulator, samples of Everest’s compounded hing recorded alcohol-soluble extract levels between zero and 3%, against the prescribed minimum requirement of 5%.
FSSAI also found irregularities in raw hing varieties examined at Laljee Godhoo’s manufacturing unit. Six varieties were reported to contain starch ranging from 15% to 32%, significantly higher than the permissible maximum of 1%.
Prohibition orders were subsequently issued against both companies under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The firms were also asked to submit corrective action plans detailing measures to address the deficiencies.
