Regulator says trace nitrofuran residues do not pose health risks and isolated lab findings should not be generalised
India’s food safety regulator said on Saturday eggs sold in the country are safe to eat, rejecting claims that they pose a cancer risk and warning that such allegations are scientifically unfounded and risk misleading consumers, according to media reports.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said reports and social media posts alleging the presence of carcinogenic substances such as nitrofuran metabolites in eggs were incorrect. The use of nitrofurans is banned at all stages of poultry and egg production under Indian food safety regulations, it said.
FSSAI clarified that an Extraneous Maximum Residue Limit (EMRL) of 1.0 microgram per kilogram has been set for nitrofuran metabolites solely for regulatory enforcement. The threshold reflects the minimum level detectable through advanced laboratory testing and does not indicate that the substance is permitted for use. According to media reports detecting trace residues below the EMRL does not amount to a food safety violation and is not indicative of any health risk.
The regulator said India’s rules are aligned with international practices, noting that the European Union and the United States also prohibit nitrofurans in food-producing animals and use reference values only as enforcement tools. Differences in numerical benchmarks between countries stem from variations in analytical methods rather than consumer safety standards, it added.
On public health concerns, FSSAI said scientific evidence does not establish any causal link between trace dietary exposure to nitrofuran metabolites and cancer or other adverse health effects in humans. It added that no national or international health authority has associated normal egg consumption with an increased cancer risk.
Addressing reports related to testing of a specific egg brand, according to media reports, FSSAI said such detections are isolated and batch-specific, often linked to inadvertent contamination or feed-related factors. It said isolated laboratory findings should not be extrapolated to declare eggs unsafe, as doing so would be scientifically incorrect.
The authority urged consumers to rely on verified scientific evidence and official advisories, reiterating that eggs remain a safe and nutritious component of a balanced diet when produced and consumed in compliance with food safety regulations.
