NEW DELHI: A sample of red chilli powder manufactured by Uttarakhand-based manufacturing unit of Patanjali Foods was declared unsafe, the centre said in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

In a written reply, Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, said, “During a sampling drive on spices in 2024–25, a sample of red chilli powder collected from the Uttarakhand-based manufacturing unit of Patanjali Foods was declared unsafe, as the detected pesticide residue levels exceeded the prescribed Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs)." 

He said based on the test findings, the concerned authority issued a recall order, following which the FBO initiated the withdrawal of the affected product from the market.

The minister, however, said that no samples of products from the Amul brand have been reported as unsafe against the parameters specified under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations.

To a question from TMC MP, Mahua Moitra, on what steps government has taken to ensure that only quality-tested and safe food products are made available to consumers in the market, the minister said, “Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is mandated to lay down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.”