The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made a sensational announcement that animal feed is being used in the manufacture of the popular 'Priyagold' biscuits across the country. It was revealed on Saturday that permission has been granted to initiate prosecution against 'Surya Food and Agro Limited', the manufacturer of Priyagold, for committing this serious violation of regulations.

Based on a complaint filed by a consumer, FSSAI officials conducted inspections at the manufacturing facility of Surya Food and Agro Company. During these inspections, the officials found bags of tavudu clearly marked 'intended for animal feed only'. The officials found that this tavudu, which is completely unfit for human consumption, was being used as a raw material for fiber in the biscuits.

In addition to these allegations, FSSAI stated in its statement that there were more shortcomings in the said industry. It said that several violations have been identified in the industrial premises, such as unsanitary conditions, lack of pest control measures, negligence in the storage of raw materials, and lack of personal hygiene of the staff. In this context, the company's food safety license has already been suspended, and it has recently been allowed to prosecute as part of criminal proceedings.

Usually, the bran, which is the outer layer of grains, is used for fiber in food. However, there is a huge difference in the quality and safety standards of 'food-grade' raw materials used for humans and animal feed. Mixing ingredients designated as animal feed with human food is a serious crime under the law.

These actions are not limited to the Priyagold company. FSSAI said that prosecution proceedings have also been initiated against 'Dodla Dairy' for detecting detergent residues in a full cream milk sample and against UEIR Organic Foods for pesticide residues in raisins.

However, FSSAI has not disclosed the details of which variants of Priya Gold biscuits were affected and which batches it applies to. Also, no orders have been issued to recall the biscuits across the country. There is no official response from Surya Food and Agro on FSSAI's latest allegations.