The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a letter dated 25th November 2019 to the Commissioners of Food Safety of all states/UTs to undertake regular surveillance and enforcement activities to curb the mixing of harmful substances into cumin and in case where the food samples are found to be non-conforming, recourse is to be taken under the penal provisions of the Act .
FSSAI has been reported that a large number of food business operators who are engaged into the business of manufacture and sale of cumin use unauthorized harmful substances like grass, stone, powder etc in cumin. the manufacturing standards of cumin as per the The food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 clearly states that the product shall be free from added color and harmful substances.
The Letter also directs Commissioners of Food Safety to submit an action taken report by the end of the year.
Click here to read the Notification
