India’s food safety regulator has initiated legal proceedings for prosecution against Surya Food & Agro, the maker of Priyagold biscuits, over alleged use of bran intended for cattle feed in biscuit production.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India announced the action on October 17. According to its account, an inspection prompted by a consumer complaint found the bran being used as a source of fibre, although it was not intended for human consumption.
FSSAI said the gunny bags holding the material were marked for cattle feed. Inspectors also reported shortcomings in pest control, factory cleanliness, storage and separation of raw materials, staff hygiene and maintenance of the premises.
The company’s licence had already been suspended following the inspection, according to the regulator. The latest announcement concerns the next enforcement step: FSSAI said it had “initiated legal proceedings for prosecution”. It did not announce a conviction.
The Times of India reported on October 18 that its attempts to reach the company for comment were unsuccessful. Its report did not include a response from Surya Food & Agro to the allegations.
The published accounts do not identify affected Priyagold product variants or batch numbers, or specify when the inspection took place. October 17 is the date of the prosecution announcement, rather than an established date for the inspection findings.
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- PTI via Business Standard — FSSAI’s October 17 announcementbusiness-standard.com
- The Indian Express — regulator’s allegations and enforcement actionindianexpress.com
- The Times of India — inspection account and attempted company responsetimesofindia.indiatimes.com