FSSAI rejects reports of cancer risk on egg consumption | What it said
The FSSAI noted that India's regulatory framework follows international practices. It added that the countries that are part of the European Union and the United States also prohibit the use of nitrofurans in food-producing animals.
New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Saturday issued clarification over the recent controversy and said that the consumption of eggs is safe for human consumption. It added that recent reports linking egg consumption with cancer are misleading and scientifically unsupported.
FSSAI issues clarification
The authority, while responding to media and social media reports over the alleged presence of carcinogenic substances like nitrofuran metabolites (AOZ) in eggs, said that it is strictly prohibited in all stages of poultry under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.
It added that an Extraneous Maximum Residue Limit (EMRL) of 1.0 ug/kg has been set for nitrofuran metabolites. "Detection of trace residues below the EMRL does not constitute a food safety violation nor does it imply any health risk," an official said while speaking to ANI.
‘India's regulatory framework follows the international practices’
The FSSAI further noted that India's regulatory framework follows international practices. It added that the countries that are part of the European Union and the United States also prohibit the use of nitrofurans in food-producing animals. "No national or international health authority has associated normal egg consumption with increased cancer risk,” the authority noted further.
Pointing out concerns related to public health, the FSSAI said that no established link exists between trace-level dietary exposure to nitrofuran metabolites and cancer in humans. Further talking about reports on testing a specific egg brand, the authority called such detections as isolated and batch-specific, and do not represent the country's overall egg supply chain.
Rely only on verified scientific evidence: FSSAI
"Generalising isolated laboratory findings to label eggs as unsafe is scientifically incorrect," the clarification stated further. The FSSAI further urged consumers to rely only on verified scientific evidence and reiterated that eggs remain a safe, nutritious, and important component of a balanced diet.