New Delhi: The ministry of commerce on Tuesday clarified that Singapore and Hong Kong have not banned Indian spices. Instead, specific batches of certain spice mixtures exported from India were recalled by the food safety authorities of these countries.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for health Anupriya Patel said that the Spices Board has implemented various measures to address the ethylene oxide (EtO) limits set by importing countries. These measures include mandatory pre-shipment testing of spices destined for these markets and issuing detailed guidelines to exporters to prevent EtO contamination during all stages of the supply chain, including raw material procurement, packing, storage, and transportation, as reported by PTI.
This clarification followed the Singapore Food Safety Authority’s temporary hold on a product for further inspection.
Earlier, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) in Hong Kong found ethylene oxide, a pesticide classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in certain spice packs manufactured by MDH and Everest. The CFS instructed vendors to stop the sale of these products and remove them from retail shelves.
Similarly, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) had recalled ‘Everest’ fish curry masala due to the presence of ethylene oxide, a pesticide not authorised for use in food beyond permissible limits, and advised consumers against using the product.
Following the alerts from both countries, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) collected samples of spices in powder form from all brands, including MDH and Everest, across India.
FSSAI is dedicated to ensuring the availability of safe food products throughout the country. To this end, FSSAI, in coordination with states, Union Territories, and its regional offices, conducts regular surveillance, monitoring, inspections, and random sampling of various food products, including dairy products, spices, and fortified rice, to ensure compliance with the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act of 2006 and related regulations.
The FSSAI has also directed states and UTs to deploy ‘Food Safety on Wheels’ units for the rapid screening and testing of milk and milk products and has conducted nationwide surveillance of spices in 2022.
