Eggs sold across India are safe for consumption and claims linking them to cancer risk are misleading and unsupported by science, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India clarified on Saturday, seeking to counter public anxiety triggered by recent media reports and social media posts.
Responding to allegations about the presence of carcinogenic substances such as nitrofuran metabolites in eggs, the food regulator said the claims were capable of creating unnecessary alarm and had no scientific basis. The authority underlined that the use of nitrofurans is strictly prohibited at every stage of poultry and egg production under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.
The FSSAI explained that an Extraneous Maximum Residue Limit of 1.0 microgram per kilogram has been prescribed for nitrofuran metabolites only as a regulatory enforcement tool. The benchmark represents the lowest level detectable by advanced laboratory techniques and does not indicate that the substance is allowed in food.
“Detection of trace residues below the EMRL does not constitute a food safety violation nor does it imply any health risk,” an official noted.
The regulator said India’s food safety framework is aligned with global practices. Both the European Union and the United States prohibit nitrofurans in food-producing animals and use reference points for action or guideline values solely to assist enforcement, not to signal acceptable exposure.
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Differences in numerical limits across countries, the authority said, stem from variations in analytical capabilities and regulatory approaches, and do not reflect differing standards of consumer safety.
On public health concerns, the FSSAI cited scientific evidence showing no established causal link between trace-level dietary exposure to nitrofuran metabolites and cancer or other adverse health outcomes. No national or international health authority has associated normal egg consumption with increased cancer risk, it reiterated.
Clarifying reports about testing of a particular egg brand, the authority said such findings are isolated and batch-specific, often linked to inadvertent contamination or feed-related factors, and cannot be extrapolated to the country’s overall egg supply.
“Generalising isolated laboratory findings to label eggs as unsafe is scientifically incorrect,” the clarification said.
The FSSAI urged consumers to rely on verified scientific evidence and official advisories, reiterating that eggs remain a safe, nutritious and valuable component of a balanced diet when produced and consumed in accordance with food safety regulations.
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