The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced a nationwide enforcement drive on spices for October 2025, following surveillance that revealed quality, contamination, and labelling issues. The drive covers 13 spices, including black pepper, cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and turmeric (whole and powder). Inspections will target manufacturing units, with samples tested in NABL-accredited labs, and results to be reported via FoSCoS/FoSCoRIS by November 20, 2025.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will conduct a Pan-India enforcement drive on spices from October 1 to 31, 2025, following surveillance (Nov 2024 to Feb 2025) that identified non-compliance in terms of quality, contaminants, microbial safety, and labelling.
Key points include:
- The drive targets 13 commonly used spices, including black pepper, cardamom, chilli, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and turmeric, both in whole and powdered forms.
- Inspections will be limited to manufacturing units to check compliance at the source.
- Samples collected must be sent to NABL-accredited laboratories with a full testing scope under FSSAI regulations.
- States/UTs and regional FSSAI offices are required to update inspection and sampling data on FoSCoS/FoSCoRIS platforms and submit consolidated reports in the prescribed formats (Annexure A & B) by November 20, 2025.
This initiative aims to ensure food safety, prevent adulteration, and strengthen consumer protection in the spice sector.