The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale of turmeric, chilli and other spice powders in loose, unpacked form, making packing and sealing at the place of production mandatory before distribution and sale across the state. The order is part of a statewide crackdown on adulteration, unauthorised colours and unhygienic production practices.
The food safety regulator, led by FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, issued the comprehensive compliance order on October 15. It covers turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, asafoetida, saffron, poppy seeds, garam masala, curry powder and other spice products.
Under the order, spice powders and mixed spices must be packed and sealed at the production premises before they are distributed or sold. The measure effectively bars the sale of these products from open containers or other loose, unpacked formats. The FDA has directed food safety officers across Maharashtra to inspect spice businesses and record inspections, samples and enforcement action.
The order also prohibits the use of unauthorised colours and harmful substances, including Metanil Yellow, Rhodamine B, Sudan dyes and lead chromate. FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said action would be taken against the mixing of brick powder, chalk, sawdust, foreign starch and other unauthorised substances to increase the weight or quantity of spices.
The regulator has also included products from which extracts have been removed within the enforcement action. The restrictions are aimed at preventing adulteration before the products reach consumers, while requiring businesses to maintain traceable production and packing practices.
The compliance order sets out requirements for drying, storage and production areas. Spices must not be dried on public roads, tarred surfaces, drains, near garbage bins or close to cattle sheds. Production and storage premises must be clean, dry and pest-free, and spices must be protected from contamination.
The FDA has further prohibited the storage of chemicals, pesticides and industrial colours alongside spices. These requirements place responsibility on spice businesses to separate food products from substances that could contaminate them during processing or storage.
The order comes as the Maharashtra FDA intensifies inspections focused on food adulteration and hygiene. Its next operational step is the statewide inspection of spice businesses, with officers required to document inspections, collect samples and record any enforcement action taken.
