The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Sunday, 4 October 2026, moved against two food businesses in separate enforcement actions — suspending the licence of West Bengal-based Creative Bakers and Confectioners Private Limited over serious hygiene and sanitation failures, and directing Everest Food Products Private Limited to recall a batch of pre-packed cumin powder after laboratory tests detected pesticide residues above permissible limits. Both actions signal an intensifying push by the regulator to enforce food safety standards across manufacturing and supply chains.

Why FSSAI Acted Against Creative Bakers

An inspection of Creative Bakers and Confectioners Private Limited's manufacturing facility revealed what the regulator described as 'severe hygiene and sanitation deficiencies.' Inspectors documented dirt, grease, dust, cobwebs and flies in food production and handling areas — conditions considered fundamentally incompatible with safe food manufacturing.

Perishable raw materials were found stored in open conditions, and rusted and inadequately cleaned containers were being used for storing both raw materials and semi-finished products. Waste material, old stock, rejected lots and scrap had accumulated inside food-handling areas, while equipment showed rusting, peeling paint, damp conditions and damaged floor tiles.

FSSAI also noted that the company had failed to maintain several mandatory records and monitoring systems, including water and finished-product testing records, temperature-monitoring logs, equipment calibration data, preventive maintenance records, mock recall documentation, consumer complaint registers, training records and audit reports. Following the inspection, the regulator suspended the licence with immediate effect and directed the operator to halt all food-related activities during the suspension period.

Everest Cumin Powder Recall: What Was Found

In a separate enforcement order, FSSAI directed Everest Food Products Pvt Ltd to recall an identified batch of its pre-packed cumin powder after a food analyst declared a sample 'unsafe' under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The sample was drawn from the premises of Riverside Resorts and Holiday Homes in Goa.

Laboratory testing found pesticide residues of Azoxystrobin and Thiamethoxam at levels exceeding the prescribed maximum residue limits. Both are systemic pesticides — Azoxystrobin is a broad-spectrum fungicide, while Thiamethoxam is a neonicotinoid insecticide — and their presence above permissible thresholds in a ready-to-use spice product raises direct dietary exposure concerns for consumers.

A Pattern of FSSAI Enforcement Action

This is not the first time Everest Food Products has faced regulatory scrutiny. The brand came under international scrutiny in 2024 when several countries flagged pesticide residues in its spice products, prompting recalls in multiple markets. The latest domestic action by FSSAI indicates that regulatory monitoring of the spice sector remains ongoing.

Notably, this dual enforcement action — targeting both a bakery manufacturer and a major spice brand on the same day — reflects FSSAI's stated strategy of concurrent inspections across food categories rather than reactive, single-incident responses.

What Happens Next

Creative Bakers and Confectioners must remain operationally suspended until it demonstrates corrective action to the regulator's satisfaction. Reinstatement of a suspended licence typically requires a re-inspection and documented compliance across all flagged areas. Everest Food Products is required to withdraw the affected cumin powder batch from distribution; the scope of the recall — including batch numbers and distribution geography — had not been publicly detailed at the time of the regulator's statement.

Consumer groups are likely to call for greater transparency on recall notifications and retail shelf-clearance timelines, areas where India's food safety enforcement framework has historically faced criticism for limited public visibility.