Patanjali Foods Ltd. has disclosed that food safety authorities in Kerala's Kannur district have prohibited the sale of a batch of its sorghum flour after detecting pesticide residue levels beyond permissible limits. According to the company's exchange filing, it received an email communication on June 20 from the Office of the Designated Officer (Food Safety), Civil Station, Kannur District, informing it of the prohibition order on the sale of a specific batch of sorghum flour. The company stated that the prohibition order of sale of Sorghum Flour of a Batch is limited to Kannur District only, ensuring the geographical scope of the restriction.
The action was taken due to the presence of chlorpyriphos pesticide residues exceeding the maximum prescribed limits in the affected batch, as reported by the company. Patanjali Foods stated that the food safety authority identified the presence of pesticide residues of chlorpyriphos in the sorghum flour batch as the alleged violation. The company did not disclose the quantity of the affected batch or the potential monetary impact arising from the restriction.
The company stated that the restriction applies only to the identified batch and is geographically limited to Kannur district. According to the filing, there is no material impact on its overall financial or operational performance, apart from the value of the affected batch. Patanjali Foods emphasized that there is no material impact on financial or operational activities, except to the extent of value of the Sorghum Flour of the particular batch.
The company said it intends to challenge the order, stating 'The Company will file appeal against the Order passed by Designated Officer'. The disclosure was made under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, which mandates listed entities to report material regulatory and statutory actions. As reported by the company, the prohibition order of sale of Sorghum Flour of a Batch is limited to Kannur District only. Patanjali Foods plans to appeal the order, signaling an effort to contain any reputational risk and regulatory fallout while reassuring stakeholders that broader business operations remain unaffected.
