FSSAI orders recall of one batch of Everest cumin powder over pesticide residues above limit
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India declared the batch unsafe after tests found residues of two pesticides above permitted levels.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken strict action against one batch of cumin powder from the well-known spice company Everest Food Products Private Limited, after pesticide residues in the batch were found to exceed the permitted limit.
Laboratory tests found the pesticides Azoxystrobin and Thiamethoxam above the maximum residue limit (MRL). FSSAI then declared the batch "unsafe" and directed that it be recalled from the market immediately.
The case began at a resort in Goa. An FSSAI team had taken an official sample of pre-packed Everest cumin powder from the premises of Riverside Resorts and Holiday Homes Private Limited. The primary food analyst's tests showed that residues of Azoxystrobin and Thiamethoxam in the cumin powder were above the prescribed standards.
The company appealed against the result, and the sample was then sent to a referral food laboratory, whose tests produced the same finding.
Under the rules, the maximum residue limit for Azoxystrobin in cumin is about 0.03 mg/kg, while the limit for Thiamethoxam is set at 0.01 mg/kg. In the referral laboratory's tests, residues of both chemicals exceeded the limit. On this basis FSSAI decided to recall the batch.
The regulatory order issued on October 4, 2026 asks the company to withdraw stock of the batch from the market immediately and submit a detailed report.
The action does not cover all Everest products. It is limited to the batch numbered E080668761. Consumers should therefore check the batch number on any Everest cumin powder packet at home. If a packet carries batch number E080668761, they have been urged to stop using it as food immediately.
On the same day, FSSAI also took action against another company over food safety. Serious lapses in hygiene and health standards were found at Creative Bakers and Confectioners Private Limited, linked to the Sugar and Spice brand, and its food licence has been suspended with immediate effect.
