India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) announced on Thursday that it had directed officials to conduct extensive testing and inspections at all spice mix-manufacturing units. The focus is primarily on companies manufacturing curry powders and mixed spice blends for domestic and international markets.
This action follows recent developments where Hong Kong suspended sales of three spice blends from MDH and an Everest spice mix for fish curry due to concerns over high levels of ethylene oxide. Singapore also ordered a recall of the Everest spice mix, citing similar contamination issues.
While MDH and Everest’s products are trendy in India and globally, with exports totalling $4 billion in the previous fiscal year, concerns over ethylene oxide contamination have prompted regulatory scrutiny. Ethylene oxide is considered unfit for human consumption and poses a long-term cancer risk.
The FSSAI’s statement emphasized that each product sample will undergo rigorous testing to ensure quality and safety standards compliance. Any presence of ethylene oxide will result in appropriate actions as necessary by the authorities.
India’s spices industry is a significant player in the global market, with exports valued at billions of dollars annually. The Spices Board of India has also joined efforts to address these concerns, seeking export data to affected countries and conducting inspections at exporter facilities.
In response to these developments, Everest has asserted the safety of its spices, stating that products are exported only after obtaining necessary clearances and approvals from Indian regulatory bodies.
The Spices Board has announced mandatory testing for ethylene oxide in spice consignments bound for Singapore and Hong Kong. Stringent monitoring of shipments to other countries will also be implemented to prevent the presence of contaminants.
