The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has tasked food safety officials with collecting samples of both branded and unbranded eggs for testing at 10 laboratories across the country, according to three officials familiar with the development.
Specifically, the regulator is testing for traces of nitrofuran metabolites – the potentially harmful class of antibiotics at the heart of the dispute – to ensure residues remain strictly within the permissible safety limit (MRPL) of 1 µg/kg.
“Egg samples are now sent to laboratories where both branded and unbranded eggs are taken for testing. The biggest problem lies with unbranded eggs; tracing their origins, sellers and buyers is difficult as they often come directly from poultry farms and are sold through unorganized channels such as local grocery stores without a clear source,” said one of the three officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Controversy
A YouTube channel claimed to have detected traces of AOZ (Amino-Oxazolidinone), a metabolite linked to nitrofuran antibiotics banned for use in food-producing animals in India, in eggs from premium brand Eggoz, raising concerns about food safety, brand claims and regulatory oversight in the country’s fast-growing branded egg market.
With eggs serving as a key source of protein, India’s egg market is currently worth US$7-8 billion and is projected to cross US$19 billion by 2034, according to Ken Research’s report 2024: India Eggs Market Outlook to 2030. The estimates include both formal and informal markets.
Studies link prolonged exposure to AOZ with potential carcinogenic effects, meaning it could increase the risk of cancer. Regulatory bodies around the world have set strict maximum residue limits (MRPLs) or zero tolerance standards to prevent contaminated meat and eggs from entering the food chain.
Nupa Technologies Pvt. Ltd, the Gurugram-based company behind the Eggoz brand, countered the claims on Instagram and LinkedIn and issued its own reports to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) on 11 December.
For all parameters tested, including antibiotics, banned pesticides, heavy metals, toxic residues and microbiological pathogens, the findings show that Eggoz eggs fully comply with FSSAI standards.
In a separate email statement sent to Mint on December 14, a Nupa Technologies spokesperson again denied the claim. “Eggoz reiterates that none of our eggs contain any banned antibiotics. Our brand has been built on a foundation of transparency and strict standardization throughout the egg supply chain, ensuring consistent quality and full traceability for consumers.”
Just to be sure, the YouTube channel’s blind test found AOZ levels of 0.73 µg/kg, which is below the MRPL (maximum residue limit) of 1.0 µg/kg mandated by the FSSAI.
In June, Eggoz secured $20 million in funding from private equity firm Gaja Capital and venture capital firm IvyCap Ventures, among others, making it the only company in the space to raise significant institutional capital.
Tarun Gupta, founder of competitor Henfruit, said the company tests each batch in its own laboratory, with results cross-validated by a third-party NABL-accredited laboratory every six months. “We have also sent samples for blind testing. The results are awaited,” he said.
A spokesperson for Licious, an online meat and egg delivery platform, said the company carries out multi-layered checks in its own and NABL-accredited laboratories, with results consistently showing BLQ (below the limit of quantification) – “meaning residues are either undetectable or well below regulatory limits”. The platform has raised roughly $490 million to date.
Questionable marketing claims
FSSAI also scrutinizes marketing claims. “We are looking into whether companies are labeling products on e-commerce portals or on the packaging itself. If a company makes a statement like ‘100% chemical-free’, ‘antibiotic-free’, ‘100% pure’ or ‘fresh’, it is violating labeling regulations,” said a second official, also on condition of anonymity.
Eggoz claims to use “100% herbal food.
FSSAI will take action against such claims even if the product tests below permissible residue limits as the labeling itself is misleading, the official added.
The official highlighted future regulatory shifts and emphasized that the country is moving towards stricter standards. “Two years ago, the European Union set a common reference point for action (RPA) for nitrofuran metabolites (such as AOZ and AMOZ) at 0.5 µg/kg in animal products with the aim of achieving zero tolerance for these carcinogens.
“We are also in the process of reducing our limit to 0.5 µg/kg. Not every country has adopted this standard yet. Such regulatory information is dynamic as global standards evolve, we are taking appropriate steps to update our standards,” the official explained.
Queries sent to the Union Health Ministry and the FSSAI spokesperson on December 12 remained unanswered till press time.
Cancer risks exaggerated
In the meantime, public health experts recommend focusing on storage and labels. “Food safety is not only about what’s inside the egg, but also what’s written on the box. Advertising often exaggerates small differences, such as claiming that brown eggs are healthier than white eggs, which is misleading,” said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, former president of IMA Cochin.
He stressed that in the Indian context, consumers should prioritize checking proper storage conditions and clear expiry dates over marketing gimmicks.
He further claimed that the “cancer scare” about these antibiotics is overblown. They are classified as IARC Group 3, which means there is no evidence that they cause cancer in humans, unlike tobacco or alcohol. “Irrational fear turns people away from nutritious foods. Even though they are banned as a precaution, they are not confirmed human carcinogens,” he clarified.
Suresh Rayudu Chitturi, managing director at Srinivasa Farms and former chairman of the World Egg Organization (WEO), welcomed FSSAI’s special effort to control egg quality as a “good step”, but stressed that implementation must be fair and reality-based.
He highlighted the fragmented structure of the industry, noting that it is not a monolithic entity controlled by corporations. “There are 900,000 poultry farmers in our country. The ‘big boys’ or the organized sector probably account for not more than 20% of production, while the remaining 80% are unorganized farmers,” he noted.
He attributed the misuse of antibiotics to the socio-economic vulnerability of these smaller players rather than to unfair corporate practices. “When a poor farmer is in trouble and his birds are sick, if someone tells him to use a particular drug, he uses it. It’s not always a calculated decision by society; it’s often a lack of awareness,” he explained.
Chitturi dismissed the recent viral news as “clickbait” and said the market remains resilient. “The risk (of detected levels) is very small. Despite the online panic, it doesn’t currently look like it will have a big impact on physical consumption or the movement of goods across the country,” he added.
According to the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2025 released by the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, India is the second largest producer of eggs in the world. For 2024-25, the country’s total annual egg production is estimated at 149.11 billion eggs, an increase of 4.44% over the previous year.
Sakshi Sadashiv in New Delhi contributed to this story.
