Eggs safe for consumption, linking them to cancer risk is misleading: FSSAI

India’s food regulatory authority-the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) today clarified that eggs are safe for human consumption, claiming that linking eggs to cancer risk is “misleading, scientifically unsupported and capable of creating unnecessary public alarm”.

Responding to earlier reports which alleged presence of carcinogenic substances such as nitrofuran metabolites (AOZ) in eggs, FSSAI officials clarified that the use of nitrofurans is strictly prohibited at all stages of production of poultry and eggs under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.

According to FSSAI, an Extraneous Maximum Residue Limit (EMRL) of 1.0 µg/kg has been prescribed for nitrofuran metabolites solely for regulatory enforcement purposes.

“This limit represents the minimum level that can be reliably detected by advanced laboratory methods and does not indicate that the substance is permitted for use. Detection of trace residues below the EMRL does not constitute a food safety violation nor does it imply any health risk,” an official said.

Regarding testing of specific egg brands, officials said that such detections are isolated and batch-specific, often arising from inadvertent contamination or feed-related factors, and are not representative of the overall egg supply chain in the country.

“Generalising isolated laboratory findings to label eggs as unsafe is scientifically incorrect,” he stated.

FSSAI had further stated that India’s regulatory framework is aligned with international practices.

The European Union and the United States also prohibit the use of nitrofurans in food-producing animals and employ reference points for action or guideline values only as enforcement tools. Differences in numerical benchmarks across countries reflect variations in analytical and regulatory approaches, not differences in consumer safety standards.

“No national or international health authority has associated normal egg consumption with increased cancer risk, the authority reiterated.