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Eggs safe for consumption, cancer risk claims are misleading: FSSAI
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Monday, 29 December, 2025, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has clarified that eggs available in India are safe for human consumption and dismissed recent claims linking them to a cancer risk as misleading and scientifically unsupported. The regulator’s statement came in response to reports and social media posts suggesting the presence of carcinogenic substances in eggs, sparking widespread concern among consumers.
FSSAI officials pointed out that such allegations have no credible scientific basis and are capable of creating unnecessary alarm among the public. They emphasized that no national or international health authority has ever linked normal egg consumption with an increased risk of cancer.
The controversy largely stemmed from claims that eggs contained nitrofuran metabolites — substances some have described as potentially carcinogenic. However, FSSAI clarified that nitrofurans are strictly prohibited at all stages of poultry and egg production under existing regulatory standards. While laboratory tests may sometimes detect trace levels of nitrofuran metabolites (such as AOZ), an extraneous maximum residue limit (EMRL) is set only as a benchmark for detection, not as a permitted level indicating safety risk. These trace detections are often isolated or batch-specific and may result from factors such as environmental contamination or animal feed, not deliberate use of banned substances.
FSSAI highlighted that the regulatory framework in India aligns with global practices, with other countries like the European Union and the United States also prohibiting nitrofuran use in food-producing animals. The differences in analytical limits across nations reflect variations in testing methods and enforcement approaches rather than differences in consumer safety standards.
Consumers were urged to rely on verified scientific evidence and official advisories rather than unverified viral claims. The authority reaffirmed that when produced and consumed in compliance with food safety regulations, eggs remain a safe, nutritious, and valuable component of a balanced diet.
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