“The FDA is aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation,” an FDA spokesperson told Reuters on Friday.
Earlier this month, Hong Kong suspended the sale of three MDH spice blends and an Everest spice mix for fish curries. Similarly, Singapore mandated a recall of the Everest spice mix, citing that it contains elevated levels of ethylene oxide, a substance deemed unfit for human consumption and a potential cancer risk with prolonged exposure.
On April 5, the CFS announced that routine surveillance programs had discovered the presence of ethylene oxide in three spice mixes from the MDH Group: Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala Powder, and Curry Powder. The CFS stated, “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, ethylene oxide. The CFS has informed the vendors concerned of the irregularities and instructed them to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected products.”
According to the CFS report, “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 presence of ethylene oxide in the spice products violated this regulation, prompting immediate action from the food safety watchdog.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Monday said that it has also started taking samples of spices in powder form of all brands, including MDH and Everest, from across the country in view of quality concerns flagged by Singapore and Hong Kong, a government source said.
“In view of the current development, FSSAI is taking samples of spices of all brands, including MDH and Everest, from the market to check whether they meet the FSSAI norms,” the source said as quoted by PTI.
The authority, operating under the ministry of health and family welfare, regularly conducts such sampling exercises to assess the quality of products available in the domestic market. However, the source said that FSSAI does not regulate the quality of spices intended for export.
(With inputs from agencies)