India's spice board registration export regulator has asked MDH and Everest to provide details of quality controls after some of their products were suspended in Hong Kong for allegedly containing high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide. Hong Kong suspended sales of three MDH spice mixes and Everest fish curry spice mix this month.
Authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore said the products contain high levels of ethylene oxide, which is unfit for human consumption and poses a cancer risk from long-term exposure.
The company's products are popular in India and are exported to European, Asian, and North American countries.
Food authorities of India also ordered quality control of MDH and Everest spices on 29th April.
In April, a senior official of the Spices Board Council of India, which oversees quality standards and testing guidelines, said that the companies had been asked to explain how the products were tested and whether all regulations were followed.
“It needs to verify that the conditions required by the importing countries are met and our orders are followed," said the spice board registration authorization officials, who declined to be named and were not approved to address the media.
MDH and Everest did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Spice Board India’s choice
Earlier, Everest said in a statement that its spices were safe for consumption and that its products were exported "after obtaining necessary permits and approval from the laboratories of the Spice Board of India
"In Singapore, only one of the 60 Everest products was available for inspection, Everest director Rajiv Shah said in a statement, MDH has not yet commented on this topic.
The Spices Board Regulation of India, whose task is to develop, promote, and regulate the export of spices and spice products, operates under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. On April 25, it announced a series of corrective measures, including the start of mandatory testing of shipments to Singapore and Hong Kong and the collection of technical details and Food and Drug Administration Analytical Reports. It is also said to be working with exporters whose shipments have been recalled to get to the bottom of the problem and "propose corrective measures".
“Exporters are also thoroughly vetted to ensure compliance, they said. The April 30 circular guides exporters to avoid ETO contamination. It was prepared after detailed discussions with the spice board industry in India Initiatives include voluntary testing of ETO in the initial and final phases; ETO-treated products for separate storage; "distinguished ETO as a threat and includes critical control points in the threat analysis". Exporters are also encouraged to use alternative methods such as steam sterilization or irradiation. The Spices Board of India issued a similar notification in September 2021 after the EU reported the presence of ETO in the spices board exported from India.
FSSAI has directed state regulators to collect samples from leading spices brands including MDH and Everest to test for the presence of ETO. According to the statement of the Ministry of Health of Union, in 2024-2025, the institution also plans to carry out nationwide monitoring of “fruits and vegetables, salmonella in fish products, spices, and cuisines, enriched rice and milk and other milk products” The samples tested so far do not give a promising picture. In the last three years, nearly a quarter of the samples tested did not meet regulatory standards, FSSAI said in its latest release. The body is said to have tested more than four wood samples during the current financial year, but the final data is yet to be collected.
Activists have called for strict safety controls on curry powders and spices; detection and control of the use of ETO in food; and ensure proper compliance with regulations. A recent report also recommended regular updating of food safety standards to bring them into line with global practices and improve the flow of information within the food industry to improve compliance.
