FSSAI to inspect samples from major spice manufacturing units after Singapore and Hong Kong banned MDH and Everest spices

NEW DELHI: India's food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to test samples of various spices manufacturing units in India. The action comes after Singapore and Hong Kong banned the sale of MDH and Everest spices in their country. According to reports, the FSSAI team has begun inspecting and lifting samples from major manufacturing units in the country.

"Although we used to conduct inspections on a regular basis we haven't found banned substance or pesticide in any of the spices," government sources added.

Hong Kong's food safety watchdog has banned four spices products of Indian brands MDH and Everest after they found they contained cancer-causing chemicals.

On April 5, the Centre for Food Safety of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region had announced that routine surveillance programs had uncovered the presence of ethylene oxide in three spices from MDH Group, Sambhar Masala Powder, and Curry Powder. "The CFS collected the above-mentioned samples from three retail outlets in Tsim Sha Tsui respectively for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that the samples contained a pesticide, called ethylene oxide.

"According to the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation, a food for human consumption containing pesticide residue may only be sold if consumption of the food is not dangerous or prejudicial to health," the CFS report said. The CFS ordered vendors to remove the affected products from shelves and has launched an investigation. The regulator also indicated that "appropriate action" may be taken.

Everest Group's Fish Curry Masala was also found to contain the same pesticide. Ethylene oxide, classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, poses serious health risks, including an elevated risk of breast cancer. Singapore food agency SFA also recalled Everest's fish curry masala due to exceeding the permissible limit of ethylene oxide.

MDH and Everest have not yet responded to the reports of carcinogens in their products.