FSSAI Hing Ban: Everest, Laljee Godhoo Found at 0–3% vs 5% Legal Minimum
FSSAI has issued immediate prohibition-of-sale orders against Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo after laboratory tests found compounded hing fell to 0–3% alcohol-soluble extract, below the 5% legal minimum. The orders followed a consumer complaint, widened surveillance, legal sampling and a joint Gujarat FDA inspection, creating substantial compliance, liability and appeal exposure for both manufacturers.
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Legal briefing
Key takeaways
- FSSAI has issued immediate prohibition-of-sale orders against Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo after laboratory tests found compounded hing fell to 0–3% alcohol-soluble extract, below the 5% legal minimum.
- The orders followed a consumer complaint, widened surveillance, legal sampling and a joint Gujarat FDA inspection, creating substantial compliance, liability and appeal exposure for both manufacturers.
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In this briefing
Mentioned
Key Intelligence
Key Facts
- 1FSSAI issued 'Prohibition of Sale' orders against Everest Food Products Pvt Ltd and Laljee Godhoo and Company with immediate effect, announced on 29 August 2026.
- 2Laboratory analysis found alcohol-soluble extract of 0% to 3% in legal samples, against the regulatory minimum of 5%.
- 3Everest's compounded hing registered 0% alcohol-soluble extract, while Laljee Godhoo products showed excess starch content.
- 4FSSAI estimated manufacturers used 30% to 40% less raw hing than required to meet the prescribed standard.
- 5The action followed a consumer complaint and included legal sampling of Mumbai units plus a joint inspection with the Gujarat FDA at Everest's Umbergaon facility.
- 6FSSAI tested six varieties of raw hing from Laljee Godhoo's LG Brand Unit in Mumbai and found starch above the permitted maximum.
Who's Affected
Analysis
For food-law and compliance practitioners, the FSSAI prohibition orders against Everest and Laljee Godhoo are a textbook enforcement sequence: a consumer complaint, widened market surveillance, legal sampling, a joint state inspection, laboratory confirmation, and then a 'Prohibition of Sale' order under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The finding of 0–3% alcohol-soluble extract against a 5% statutory minimum elevates the case from a routine quality lapse to 'sub-standard' and 'misbranded' food — two separately defined categories carrying distinct penalties and appeal rights. Packaged-food companies should read this as a signal that FSSAI is escalating scientific, evidence-led enforcement.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued 'Prohibition of Sale' orders against Everest Food Products Pvt Ltd and Laljee Godhoo and Company, halting the sale of their compounded asafoetida (hing) products with immediate effect. Announced on 29 August 2026, the twin orders mark a significant escalation in the regulator's scrutiny of packaged and processed foods and strike at a staple ingredient present in millions of Indian kitchens.
FSSAI's laboratory analysis found alcohol-soluble extract of only 0% to 3% across legal samples drawn from both companies' centrally licensed manufacturing units in Mumbai, and Everest's own product registered 0% alcohol-soluble extract.
The technical case is unusually specific. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, compounded hing may be made from raw hing blended with permitted ingredients such as gum arabic, starches and flours, but the finished product must deliver a minimum of 5% alcohol-soluble extract — the quality marker that captures the volatile, biologically active fraction of the spice. FSSAI's laboratory analysis found alcohol-soluble extract of only 0% to 3% across legal samples drawn from both companies' centrally licensed manufacturing units in Mumbai, and Everest's own product registered 0% alcohol-soluble extract. The regulator calculated that manufacturers were using roughly 30% to 40% less raw hing than required to meet the standard, effectively diluting the product with cheaper fillers. FSSAI separately tested six varieties of raw hing collected from Laljee Godhoo's LG Brand Unit and found starch content in excess of the regulatory maximum.
The enforcement pathway matters as much as the chemistry. FSSAI said the action originated from a consumer complaint about the quality of a particular brand's compounded hing, after which the regulator widened its market surveillance to cover major brands. Legal samples were then drawn from the centrally licensed Mumbai units, and FSSAI conducted a joint inspection with the Gujarat Food and Drug Administration at Everest's state-licensed facility in Umbergaon, Gujarat. Laboratory analysis of all legal samples confirmed that the products were sub-standard, providing the evidentiary basis for the prohibition orders.
The market context amplifies the impact. India is overwhelmingly import-dependent for raw asafoetida, sourcing it largely from Afghanistan and Iran, which makes the raw material expensive and creates a strong economic incentive to stretch it with starch and flour. Everest is among India's most recognizable packaged-spice brands, and Laljee Godhoo's LG Brand Unit is a legacy name specifically in hing, so the orders strike at category-defining players rather than marginal operators. The immediate consequence is a halt to sale and the practical withdrawal of these SKUs from retail channels, with knock-on effects for distributors, wholesalers and e-commerce listings.
What to Watch
The implications extend well beyond the two companies. 'Sub-standard' and 'misbranded' are defined, separately penalized categories under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and a prohibition order is among the more severe administrative tools short of prosecution; affected parties retain rights of appeal before the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal and higher courts. The regulator's public framing — multiple instances, laboratory testing, market surveillance and joint inspections — signals a deliberate move toward scientific, evidence-led enforcement, echoing the 2015 Nestlé Maggi episode in which a high-profile ban reshaped quality-assurance practices across India's packaged-food industry. For legal and compliance teams, the lesson is that consumer complaints are now being systematically escalated into sector-wide surveillance.
Looking ahead, the orders are likely to trigger wider testing of hing and similar compounded spice products across other brands, force manufacturers to tighten raw-material sourcing and batch-level quality control, and potentially invite consumer claims or distributor disputes over unsold inventory. The reputational damage may ultimately exceed the immediate commercial loss, because adulteration findings attach to a brand's core promise of purity. Whether Everest and Laljee Godhoo contest the findings or move to reformulate and re-certify will shape the next chapter, but the regulator has already drawn a clear line: the 5% alcohol-soluble extract standard is not negotiable, and under-dosing raw hing by a third or more will not be treated as a minor variance.
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Cite This Page
"FSSAI Hing Ban: Everest, Laljee Godhoo Found at 0–3% vs 5% Legal Minimum." Legal & RegTech Intelligence Brief, August 30, 2026. https://getlegalbrief.com/story/fssai-everest-laljee-godhoo-hing-ban-legal-exposure
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