Patanjali Foods: Four tones of red chili powder recalled from the market

New Delhi| Patanjali Foods Ltd has recalled 4 tones of red chili powder from the market following a directive from food regulator FSSAI. The company took the step after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) asked Patanjali Foods to withdraw a special batch of packaged red chili powder due to it not conforming to food safety norms. “Patanjali Foods has recalled the small batch of 4 tones of red chili powder (200 gram pack)”, Sanjeev Asthana, the company’s chief executive officer, said in a statement

“Testing the product samples, it was found that they do not have the maximum acceptable limit of pesticide residues”, he said. FSSAI has set maximum residue limits (MRLs) of pesticide residues for various foods including red chili powder

Asthana said that in line with the stated regulatory norms, the company has taken immediate steps to inform its distribution channel partners. The company has also issued advertisements to provide this information to the consumers purchasing the product. The company has appealed to the customers to go and return the product from where they purchased it and take back the entire money. “The value and quantity of the product withdrawn is very low”, Asthana said

He said the company is evaluating its agricultural product suppliers and taking steps to adopt stringent quality control procedures for procurement of agricultural products and ensure full compliance with FSSAI rules. “The company is committed to maintaining the highest quality standards across all its products and ensuring adherence to supply chain regulations”, Asthana said

“The food safety regulator has directed Patanjali Foods to recall the entire food item (that is, red chilli powder pack) of batch number – AJD2400012, due to non-compliance with the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011”, Patanjali Foods said.

Patanjali Foods (formerly Ruchi Soya), a Baba Ramdev-led Patanjali Ayurveda group company founded in the year 1986, is one of the top FMCG companies in India. The company does business in the edible oil, food and FMCG and wind power generation sectors. Patanjali sells products under various brands like Ruchi Gold, Nutrella etc.

Patanjali Foods’ standalone net profit rose 21 per cent in the September quarter to Rs 308.97 crore. Net profit in the same quarter a year ago was Rs 254.53 crore. The company’s total income increased to Rs 8,198.52 crore in the second quarter of this financial year from Rs 7,845.79 crore in the same period last year.