FSSAI COLLECTS SPICE SAMPLES AFTER SINGAPORE, HONG KONG CONCERNS

NEW DELHI/ MUMBAI: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has begun collecting samples of spices in powder form of all brands, including MDH and Everest, from across India following concerns raised by Singapore and Hong Kong authorities.

Centre for Food Safety (CFS) in Hong Kong has found ethylene oxide, a form of pesticide classified as carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Cancer, in certain spice packs manufactured by MDH and Everest and has instructed vendors to stop sale of the products and remove them from retail shelves. While authorities in Singapore and Hong Kong have already initiated recall of Everest's fish curry masala as reported by TOI, MDH's Madras curry powder, sambhar masala, mixed masala powder, and curry powder have also been recalled by Hong Kong.

Earlier, Singapore Food Agency (SFA) had recalled 'Everest' fish curry masala due to the presence of ethylene oxide, a pesticide that is not authorised for use in food beyond permissible limits and advised buyers against consuming it. The importer, Sp Muthiah & Sons, has been directed to recall the products, SFA said in a statement on April 18.

A spokesperson for Everest said, "There have been reports of Everest being banned in Singapore and Hong Kong, but we want to clarify that this is false. Everest is not banned in either country. Singapore's food safety authority referred to Hong Kong's recall alert and asked our Singapore importer to recall and temporarily hold the product for further inspection. This is a standard procedure and not a ban. Only one out of 60 Everest products has been held for examination. We reassure our customers that our products are safe and of high quality, so there is no need for concern."

MDH did not respond to a request for comment.

FSSAI, which operates under the Union health ministry, collects samples of spices regularly from the market to check the quality of products sold in the domestic market but does not regulate products that are exported, officials said.