Centre to test samples after Indian spice brands come under scrutiny abroad

The Union government has issued directions to food commissioners to collect samples of spices from all the manufacturing units in the country, sources said.

The move comes after food regulators in Hong Kong and Singapore red-flagged cancer-causing ingredients in certain products of MDH and Everest, both popular Indian spice brands.

“All the food commissioners of the country have been alerted. The process of collecting samples of spices has been started. In three to four days, samples will be collected from all the spice manufacturing units of the country,” top government sources were quoted as saying by NDTV.

“Not just MDH and Everest, samples will be taken from all the spice manufacturing companies. The report will come from the lab in about 20 days,” they added

Earlier, the Hong Kong and Singapore food regulators warned people against using four products from these two spice brands over the alleged presence of ethylene oxide at “levels exceeding the permissible limit”.

Ethylene oxide has been classified as a 'Group 1 carcinogen' by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. There is a ban on using ethylene oxide in food items in India.

“Strict action will be taken if harmful substances are found in Indian spices. There is a provision for criminal proceedings also,” the sources said.

The government has appealed to the spice board to spread awareness that no harmful elements should be added to the products.