India Gate Basmati Rice Recalled Due To Excess Pesticide; KRBL Shares Dip By Over 1.5%

Basmati rice is a staple in many Indian households; the grain item has acquired cultural significance in this part of the world. In this, India Gate, basmati rice by KRBL Ltd. is one of the most renowned brands in the market.

India Gate Basmati Rice Recalled

Recently, the company recalled one of its branded rice items. The company was made to recall the India Gate Pure Basmati Rice Feast Rozzana Super Value Pack (10 per cent Extra) from the market.

The reason behind this recall has officially been notified as 'non-conformance with pesticide regulations.' In this particular case, there are two specific pesticides that have been mentioned by the company in its press release. The two pesticides involved are Thiamethoxam and Isoprothiolane.

Excess Pesticide

According to reports, these two pesticides were found to be in the aforementioned India Gate Pure Basmati Rice Feast Rozzana Super Value Pack, in excess amount. In its statement, the company said, "Thiamethoxam and Isoprothiolane which were found to exceed the permissible limits specified by law."

This recall affects the India Gate Pure Basmati Rice Feast Rozzana Super Value Pack (10 per cent Extra) Net Weight: 1.1 kg item. The product batch number is B-2693 (CD-AB) (DC-SJ) (BL6).

This recall is meant for the product manufactured in January 2024, with an expiry date of December 2025. Further, the company added, "We advise all consumers who have purchased the aforementioned product to discontinue use immediately and inform us on the below given contact details for further course of action."

KRBL Shares Dip

KRBL Limited, which is the company that manufactures and markets the India Gate brand, saw its shares drop on Friday, September 27.

The company shares have dropped by 1.58 per cent or Rs 4.85, in the past 5 trading sessions. On Friday, September 27, the company shares further dipped. At the time of writing, the decline amounted to 1.52 per cent or Rs 4.65. This took the overall value of the shares to Rs 300.50.

KRBL's Statement

The grain processing company, in a statement, said, "The recalled stock was a single batch, and was a result of a single day packing. When alerted, we identified the batch and recall was actioned immediately. We also reinforced our internal due diligence processes to ensure the highest standards are maintained."

The statement further said, "However, rice being an agricultural commodity, pesticide control resides at the farm level and as an industry leader, we have been actively working with the farmers, government, & regulatory bodies to minimise the pesticide usage via effective training and support programmes for the farmer communities across all our sourcing territories."

In addition, the statement further said, "At KRBL, industry best practices for processing, aging & packaging of our products are applied. This entire process doesn’t involve any chemical or pesticide usage across our facilities."