Denial of the presence of carcinogens in eggs

Context

Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) clarified that eggs available in the country are completely safe for human consumption. The authority termed recent claims linking eggs to the risk of cancer as misleading, devoid of scientific basis, and unnecessarily spreading public fear.

Key Points

• Responding to reports and information circulating on social media regarding the presence of alleged carcinogens such as nitrofuran metabolites (AOZ) in eggs, the FSSAI stated that the use of nitrofurans at any stage of poultry farming and egg production is strictly prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.
• The Authority also clarified that the external maximum residue limit (EMRL) of 1.0 microgram per kilogram for nitrofuran metabolites is solely for the purpose of regulatory monitoring and enforcement.

What are nitrofuran metabolites ?

• Nitrofuran metabolites are chemical products formed when antibiotics called nitrofurans are metabolized in the body.
• They were previously used to treat bacterial infections in animals and humans but are now banned in many countries due to their carcinogenic properties and toxicity.
• Their main metabolites are found as residues in foods (e.g., seafood, meat, and eggs).
• Major nitrofuran metabolites: AOZ (3-Amino-2-oxazolidinone), SEM (Semicarbazide), AHD (1-Aminohydantoin), and AMOZ (3-Amino-5-morpholinomethyl-2-oxazolidinone)

About the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which consolidated various Acts and Orders dealing with food-related issues across various ministries and departments.
• The FSSAI was established to lay down science-based standards for food articles and regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

Objective

• The objective of this Act is to establish a single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards by replacing the multi-layered and multi-departmental control system with a single control system.
• For this purpose, an independent statutory authority, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has been established under the Act, with its headquarters in Delhi.
• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the State Food Safety Authorities will implement the various provisions of the Act.

Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI Responsibilities of the Food Safety and Nutrition Commission

• To formulate regulations to set standards and guidelines related to food products and to specify appropriate mechanisms for implementing the various standards so notified
• To establish mechanisms and guidelines for the accreditation of certification bodies engaged in the certification of food safety management systems for food businesses
• To establish procedures and guidelines for the accreditation of laboratories and to notify accredited laboratories
• To provide scientific advice and technical assistance to the Central Government and State Governments in matters of policy and regulation in areas directly or indirectly related to food safety and nutrition
• To collect and compile data related to food consumption, the incidence and prevalence of biological hazards, contaminants in food, residues of various contaminants, contaminants in food products, identification of emerging risks, and the establishment of an early warning system
• To establish a nationwide information network to provide prompt, reliable, and unbiased information about food safety and related issues to the public, consumers, Panchayats, etc.
• To provide assistance to those engaged in or aspiring to engage in food businesses Providing training programs for individuals
• Contributing to the development of international technical standards for food, sanitary, and phytosanitary standards
• Promoting general awareness of food safety and food standards