Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) left the people of India in astonishment placing the leading brands such as Kellogg’s, Starbucks, Venky Products along with the many other leading brands which are popularly devoured across the nation. All these rejected products by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have been detected comprising high levels heavy metals, caffeine and iron fillings etc.

Tata StarBucks, Kellogg’s, Venky’s Products Placed in Blacklist by FSSAI

FSSAI which has ordered the Nestle Maggi to stop the manufacturing of all nine variants after coming across tests which disclosed that they were comprising unsafe and high levels of lead has also added 500 more products to the blacklist which are highly not recommended for the people to consume as they have been discovered to be constituting harmful substances. Some of the recently added products included in the blacklist are far famed largely consumed products such as Tata Starbucks, a cereal from Kellogg’s, poultry products from Venky’s and even a multivitamin from Ranbaxy.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) rejected list of 500 products was handed over to food safety commissioners attending the authority’s central scientific advisory committee meeting in New Delhi last Thursday. All these Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) rejected list of 500 products are said to be comprising high levels of sugar, caramel, salt or heavy metals, caffeine and iron fillings.

Blacklisted products of the Tata Starbucks were mainly sauces and syrups, such as a dark caramel sauce, an international chocolate mix and chestnut-flavoured syrup, which go into the making of various kinds of flavoured coffee, tea and other beverages. Starbucks outlets in India are operated by the major stakeholders Tata Global Beverages and Starbucks Corporation said “diligently working with… FSSAI to provide the information relating to our pending applications they have asked for” when being asked about the excess levels of lead and other substances. Added to this what arouses more anticipations is that proclamation of staff at two Starbucks outlets in central and south Delhi such as their unawareness about any of their products or ingredients being present on any such government FSSAI list.

Starbucks staff reported “Some of these are syrups we use in a lot of our coffees. We are using a lot of syrups mentioned on this list including caramel, chestnut and hazelnut flavours, and vanilla and dark frappuccino powders and the rejection of product approvals by FSSAI was on technical grounds.” Further they added that “Some of the products on the list may still be in our stores because the rejection of approvals was not on safety grounds, but on technical grounds. We have not been asked to withdraw any products. We have already corrected the technicalities and submitted fresh approval applications.”

FSSAI in a note sent to the state food commissioners on April 21 clearly states and directed them to keep a check on products that have been denied approvals as many of such products have been found manufactured, distributed, sold even after the denial. Blacklist of  products by FSSAI also includes dietary supplements which manufactures and sold out for specific age groups, including for children as young as 1-3 years such as Amway.

Ironically as per the official sources of FSSAI it has been discovered that most of the leading companies and brands released their products in the market despite pending approvals from government. Henceforth FSSAI directed and suggested the state commissioners to keep watch on the updated list and take necessary action against any violators.

A few far-famed products which have been listed in the blacklist of the FSSAI are as follow,

• Special K Red Berries cereal from Kellogg’s
• Ready-to-eat chicken items from Venky’s
• Weight gain or protein supplements of Nutricia’s ProtineX and Zeon Lifesciences Ltd.
• Over 150 supplements including hair growth products, immune-booster tablets, metabolism-enablers, beauty-enhancers, vitamin sprays, wellness products, natural fruit enzyme supplements and protein – including tablets and capsules of Ranbaxy’s Revital and Amway’s Nutrilite mixed drink flavour for children.
• Nine variants of energy drinks from four companies, including Monster and Tzinga, a children’s energy drink, juices, and probiotic drinks.
• A variant range of ready-to-eat chapati and salad dressings, oils, daal, varieties of tea bags and leaves, cake, organic pulses and cereals, flavour-enhancing syrups, powders, and at least two hair growth products.

CLICK HERE for full list of FSSAI blacklisted products 500 companies.

Reasons behind rejecting and denying approval for blacklisted products by FSSAI

Reportedly all blacklisted products were rejected approval to sell and manufacture due to

• Hazardous levels of ingredients deemed unsafe for consumption in them. Most of the sauces and syrups were found to comprising extreme levels of sugar or caramel.
• Presence of high levels of sugar or caramel in ready-to-eat products.
• Iron fillings in many tea products.
• High levels of caffeine content and ginseng in energy drinks.

Blacklisted products of FSSAI 500 were rejected on assessment of risk/ safety of the proposed products by the Product Approval & Screening Committee, and the Scientific Panel. A official of FSSAI claimed “When companies realised that their products could not pass drug control norms, they were passing them off as food products. FSSAI came up only in 2011, and has been receiving hundreds of applications from the beginning… many products have been rejected only now.” Senior official sources of FSSAI claim “What is disturbing to note is that the company had already released the said product… in the market without completing the process of risk assessment and has been promoting its sales. This is illegal and a serious violation of the FSS Act, Rules and Regulations” while addressing Nestle Maggi row. Stay tuned with us for more updates and latest stories by bookmarking us pressing Ctrl+D for easy navigation.

Share your inner views and stray thoughts with us regarding the FSSAI banning the leading 500 brands which consumed by the Indian people at large scale and increasing levels of hazardous substances in them  as comments. Stay tuned with us for more updates and latest stories by bookmarking us pressing Ctrl+D for easy navigation.