SHELL SHOCK: Eggs in hot water, face safety scramble

Srinagar, Dec 12: Eggs in Kashmir are in hot water while labs scramble to crack contamination claims.

Following viral reports of banned chemicals in Eggoz eggs, the Food Safety Department is testing organic and regular eggs across Kashmir, urging calm while labs check for hidden toxins.

On Friday, the Food Safety Department, Kashmir, collected egg samples from markets across Kashmir for urgent laboratory testing.

The move follows concerns regarding the safety of eggs in Kashmir after alarming reports of banned carcinogenic substances in a well-known egg brand outside Kashmir.

Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, Yameen-un-Nabi, told Greater Kashmir that the drive had been initiated upon orders of Commissioner Food Safety, J&K, Smita Sethi.

He said teams were mobilised to gather samples from both supermarkets and local vendors.

“We have taken samples of organic eggs as well as eggs not claimed to be organic,” he said. “Multiple samples have already been lifted since morning and sent for laboratory analysis.”

Yameen said only advanced testing could reveal whether any food is contaminated with any substance.

“Contaminations cannot be seen with the naked eye,” he said.

Yameen said inspections so far had covered several supermarkets, but the Eggoz brand highlighted in a viral YouTube video alleging the contamination had not yet been located in Kashmir markets.

The egg samples will be sent for testing to Food Safety and Standards Association of India (FSSAI) referral laboratories, he said.

The department has urged consumers to remain calm and await lab results.

“There is no need to panic,” Yameen said.

The drive by the Food Safety Department comes a day after the J&K government ordered a probe into egg safety in Kashmir.

This controversy erupted after lab tests claimed to be independent and uploaded on a YouTube channel revealed traces of nitrofuran and nitroimidazole residues in eggs from the brand Eggoz.

These substances are strictly prohibited in food-producing animals due to their toxic and cancer-causing effects.

National Conference (NC) Member of Legislative Assembly, Tanvir Sadiq, sought attention on the issue on social media, while urging Health Minister Sakina Itoo and Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister Satish Sharma to conduct widespread market testing.

In a post on microblogging site ‘X, Sadiq underlined the dangers that metabolite residue-laced eggs could pose to vulnerable populations, including children, seniors, and patients who rely on eggs as a protein source.

He said that these drugs were “strictly banned for use in food-producing animals due to their toxic and carcinogenic effects.”

Following Sadiq’s call for attention, Minister for Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Satish Sharma immediately directed the Director of the Legal Metrology Department to investigate and submit a report within two days.

After the video alleging dangerous contamination in Eggoz eggs, the company has asserted that its eggs are safe for consumption and meet all Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines.

The company has said trace residues could be linked to environmental factors like groundwater contamination rather than antibiotic usage.