New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed its regional offices to collect egg samples from across the country to test for the presence of nitrofurans, following reports raising concerns over egg quality.

The move comes after a controversy erupted over the quality of eggs distributed by Eggoz, with allegations surfacing about the possible presence of nitrofurans. Nitrofurans are antibiotics that are banned for use in food-producing animals, though residues can still appear in eggs due to illegal usage. The European Union has banned the use of Nitrofurans in food-producing animals.

According to ANI sources, “The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked regional offices to collect samples of branded and unbranded eggs to send samples for testing at Ten Laboratories across the country to check the presence of nitrofurans.”

Highlighting the potential health risks, Dr Vivek Jain, Senior Director and Unit Head of Paediatrics at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said, “In children, consumption of eggs contaminated with nitrofurans can be harmful because these chemicals are linked to potential toxic, carcinogenic, and genotoxic effects. Young children are especially vulnerable as their organs and immune systems are still developing. Long-term exposure may increase the risk of liver damage, immune suppression, and growth-related issues.”

Further stressing the importance of food safety, he added, “Ensuring strict food safety checks and choosing eggs from reliable, regulated sources is essential to protect children's health.”

Responding to the concerns, Eggoz said it has made its laboratory reports publicly available on its website to reassure consumers about product safety. “As promised, the latest lab reports of Eggoz egg samples (December 25) are available, and we are sharing them openly for everyone's reference at www.eggoz.com. At Eggoz, the safety and trust of our consumers mean everything to us. Thank you for your patience and for giving us the opportunity to clarify the facts. We will continue to uphold the highest standards across our farms and processes,” the company said in a statement.

According to information shared on the Eggoz website, tests showed no detection of antibiotics, banned substances or pesticides, with over 25 pesticides tested and all found BLQ (Below Limit of Quantification), indicating absence or non-detectable levels.