Key Development

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will launch a nationwide enforcement drive on spices from October 1 to 31, 2025, following a recent surveillance operation that uncovered widespread non-compliance in spice products, including contamination, mislabelling, and quality failures. The initiative aims to improve compliance at the manufacturing level and ensure that spices sold in India meet safety standards under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011.

Scope and Focus

The drive will target 13 commonly used spices, including black pepper, cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and turmeric, in both whole and powdered forms. FSSAI will focus on three areas:

• Product Quality: Checking for purity, microbial safety, and contaminants

• Labelling Compliance: Verifying accurate, complete product information

• Adulteration Hotspots: Identifying high-risk manufacturers and regions

How the Drive Will Work

State food safety authorities will conduct inspections at manufacturing units, collect samples, and upload findings to the FoSCoS/FoSCoRIS platforms. Samples will be tested in NABL-accredited labs, and a consolidated report will be submitted to FSSAI by November 20, 2025.

Why It Matters

Contaminated spices pose serious health risks. Substances like ethylene oxide, a carcinogen, have triggered international recalls of Indian products. This drive aims to prevent such incidents and strengthen both consumer safety and India’s export credibility.

What Businesses Must Do

Spice manufacturers and exporters should:

• Review manufacturing and hygiene standards

• Ensure label accuracy

• Conduct in-house testing

• Train teams on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

Non-compliance could lead to license suspension, product recalls, or legal action.

Conclusion

FSSAI’s enforcement drive is a key step toward ensuring safer, cleaner spices in the Indian market and beyond. Manufacturers now have a clear opportunity to upgrade quality systems and demonstrate regulatory compliance. Read the full notification here.

Source: Livemint