Boxes of Everest fish curry masala are stacked on the shelf of a shop at a market in Srinagar, April 23, 2024. File Photo
| Photo Credit: Reuters

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 here.

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.

Also read: Why are Indian spices facing the heat? | Explained 

“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.

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.

The 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.

On Friday, the Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders (FISS) said India’s spice export may decline nearly 40% 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 $4 billion in 2021-22, according to the Spices Board of India.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is gathering information on products of Indian spice makers MDH and Everest.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is gathering information on products of Indian spice makers MDH and Everest after Hong Kong halted sales of some of their products for allegedly containing high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide.

“The FDA is aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation,” an FDA spokesperson told Reuters.

Hong Kong this month suspended sales of three MDH spice blends and an Everest spice mix for fish curries. Singapore ordered a recall of the Everest spice mix as well, saying it contains high levels of ethylene oxide, which is unfit for human consumption and a cancer risk with long exposure.

MDH and Everest did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on this matter.

Everest has previously said its spices are safe for consumption. MDH has not responded to queries about its products so far.

MDH and Everest spices are among the most popular in India and are also sold in Europe, Asia and North America. India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is now checking the quality standards of the two companies, following the moves in Hong Kong and Singapore.

India’s Spices Board, the government’s regulator for spice exports, said on Wednesday it had sought data on MDH and Everest exports from authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore, and was working with the companies to find the “root cause” of the quality issues as inspections started at their plants.

In 2019, a few batches of MDH’s products were recalled in the U.S. for salmonella contamination.