In a recent development, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked the states to collect samples of spices from all the brands available for quality test. This comes after authorities from Singapore and Hong Kong raised concerns about the qualities of certain Indian masalas, according to a government source. "In view of the current development, FSSAI has taken samples of spices of all brands, including MDH and Everest, from the market to check whether they meet the FSSAI norms," the source explained, reports PTI. However, the food authority also mentioned that they do not regulate the quality of spices that are exported and will only check the ones sold in the domestic market.
Government top sources weighed in, "The order has been given. In three to four days, samples will be collected from all the spice manufacturing units of the country." They further informed that the reports are expected to come from the lab in about 20 days.
For the uninitiated, the Hong Kong and Singapore food regulators have warned people against using four products from two Indian brands - MDH and Everest - over the alleged presence of ethylene oxide at "levels exceeding the permissible limit". The International Agency for Research on Cancer refers to ethylene oxide as a 'Group 1 carcinogen'. As per the PTI report, the Spices Board of India, in the meantime, is looking into the ban imposed by Hong Kong and Singapore on the products. "We are looking into the matter. We are at it," Spices Board of India Director A B Rema Shree informed.
While MDH is yet to release a statement, the spice brand Everest recently refuted the reports about its products being banned in Singapore and Hong Kong.
"Everest is not banned in either country," the company's spokesperson said, further clarifying, "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".