2 hours agoBusiness
42LENS
2 SourcesIndia
thebalanced.newsFSSAI Bans Use of Ashwagandha Leaves in Supplements Citing Safety Concerns
India's Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) has banned the use of ashwagandha leaves and their extracts in health supplements, permitting only the roots for such products. This decision follows safety concerns raised by the Ministry of Ayush about potential health risks from leaf extracts, including liver toxicity and neurotoxic effects. The move affects the growing nutraceutical industry, where ashwagandha's market is projected to reach $928.5 million by 2026, with rising demand domestically and internationally. States have been directed to enforce compliance and take action against violations.
Political Bias
10%85%5%
Sentiment
50%
AI Analysis
Political bias across 2 sources
● Left 10%● Center 85%● Right 5%
The articles primarily present official regulatory actions and government concerns without partisan framing. They include perspectives from the Ministry of Ayush and FSSAI, focusing on public health and industry impact. There is no evident political bias, as coverage centers on regulatory compliance and safety issues rather than political debate or controversy.
Sentiment — Neutral (50/100)
The tone across the articles is neutral and informative, emphasizing regulatory measures and safety considerations. While the ban may have economic implications for the nutraceutical sector, the coverage avoids emotive language, focusing instead on factual reporting of the decision and its rationale.
How 2 sources covered this story
Each source's own headline, political lean, and sentiment — so you can see framing differences at a glance.
| Source | Their headline | Bias | Sentiment |
|---|---|---|---|
| businessstandard | FSSAI bans use of ashwagandha leaves in supplements, flags safety concerns | Center | Neutral |
| mint | India bans wellness wonder ashwagandha's leaf products on health risk Today News | Center | Neutral |
Coverage timeline
mint broke this story on 18 Apr, 12:42 am. Other outlets followed.
- 1mint18 Apr, 12:42 amIndia bans wellness wonder ashwagandha's leaf products on health risk Today News
- 2businessstandard18 Apr, 07:13 amFSSAI bans use of ashwagandha leaves in supplements, flags safety concerns
Lens Score breakdown
42/100
Public interest0/100
Coverage gap100%
Story is receiving appropriate media attention relative to public interest.
Who's involved
Institutions and figures named across source coverage.
Government
Ministry of AyushFood Safety and Standards Authority of India
Corporate
Zandu (Emami)BaidyanathPatanjali AyurvedHimalaya WellnessWOW Life ScienceZanduDabur India
Story context
- Category
- Business
- Location
- India
- Sources analysed
- 2
- Last analysed
- 18 Apr 2026
- Key entities
- Withania somniferaFood Safety and Standards Authority of IndiaMinistry of AyushMint (newspaper)NutraceuticalIndiaCapsule (pharmacy)HepatotoxicityNeurotoxicityFood safetyTeaNorth America
Related Coverage
Select a news story to see related coverage from other media outlets.