“As residue contents of ethylene oxide are found to be exceeding the prescribed limit in these four products, the import and sale of these products are banned within the country as per Article 19 of the Food Regulation 2027 B.S.,” the department said in a notice issued on Friday
New Delhi:
After Singapore and Hong Kong, Nepal has also banned the sale and import of certain spice-mix products manufactured by Indian brands over alleged quality concerns. Four spice-mix products by MDH and Everest were banned in the Himalayan nation from Friday due to suspected ethylene oxide or EtO contamination, according to the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control .
Under this, Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Mixed Masala Powder; Mixed Masala Curry Powder of MDH and Fish Curry Masala of Everest have been banned in Nepal.
“As residue contents of ethylene oxide are found to be exceeding the prescribed limit in these four products, the import and sale of these products are banned within the country as per Article 19 of the Food Regulation 2027 B.S.,” the department said in a notice issued on Friday.
“Our serious attention has been drawn towards media reports about the sale of these sub-standard products in the market, and they are harmful for consumption,” it said.
The food quality control watchdog has also urged importers and traders to recall these products from the market.
Earlier, Britain’s food watchdog had also applied extra control measures on all spice imports from India, it said on Wednesday, becoming the first to ramp up scrutiny of all Indian spices after contamination allegations against two brands sparked concerns among global food regulators.
Last month, Singapore and Hong Kong halted sales of some spices produced by MDH and Everest over suspected elevated levels of ETO linked with some cancers.
India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has since initiated steps to examine the quality of powdered spices from various brands in the country.
Hong Kong last month suspended sales of three spice blends produced by MDH and one by Everest, saying they contained high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide ethylene oxide. Singapore also ordered a recall of the Everest mix, and New Zealand, the United States, India and Australia have since said they are looking into issues related to the two brands.
MDH and Everest – two of India’s most popular brands – have said their products are safe for consumption.
In the most stringent crackdown so far impacting all Indian spices, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) said that in light of the concerns it has “applied extra control measures for pesticide residues in spices from India which includes ethylene oxide.”
The agency did not elaborate on the exact steps it is taking.
“The use of ethylene oxide is not allowed here, and maximum residue levels are in place for herbs and spices,” James Cooper, Deputy Director of Food Policy at the FSA, said in a statement to Reuters.
In 2022 Britain imported $128 million worth of spices, with India accounting for almost $23 million, data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity website shows.
MDH and Everest export their products to many regions including the U.S., Europe, South East Asia, Middle East and Australia.
Indian regulators have also conducted testing of all spice products and inspected samples of MDH and Everest products, though no results have been made public so far.
MDH has since 2021 seen an average 14.5% of its U.S. shipments rejected over the presence of bacteria salmonella, a Reuters analysis of U.S. FDA data has found.
On Wednesday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency told Reuters in a statement it was aware of the concerns around MDH and Everest’s products and “continues to monitor the situation.”
“Based on current information, we have no evidence to suggest that the
On Friday, the Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders (FISS) said India’s spice export may decline nearly 40 per cent in FY25 if the issue of ethylene oxide contamination in spices meant for exports is not addressed at the earliest.
India is among the world’s leading spice producers, exporting over 200 spices and value-added products to some 180 countries worth USD 4 billion in 2021-22, according to the Spices Board of India.