India widens ‘inspections, sampling, testing’ of spices amid contamination alarm
US and Australian food authorities said that they are gathering more information on the matter.
India's food safety regulator FSSAI said that it had ordered testing and inspections at all companies making spice mixes following suspected contamination in MDH and Everest spice blends. This comes after Hong Kong last month suspended sales of three spices made by MDH and an Everest spice mix for fish curry. Following this, Singapore ordered a recall of the same Everest mix as well as authorities flagged high levels of ethylene oxide which is unfit for human consumption and a cancer risk if exposure is long.
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Singapore Food Agency said in a statement, “The Centre for Food Safety in Hong Kong has issued a notification on the recall of Everest Fish Curry Masala from India due to the presence of ethylene oxide at levels exceeding permissible limits.”
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Moreover, US and Australian food authorities said that they are gathering more information on the matter.
Earlier, India ordered testing of the two brands' products and now FSSAI said that it has ordered officials to conduct “extensive inspections, sampling and testing at all the manufacturing units” for spices. There will be more focus on those companies making curry powders and mixed spice blends for local and foreign sales, it said, adding, “Each of the product sampled will be analysed for the compliance with quality and safety parameters.”
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The agency also said that checks would also be made for any presence of ethylene oxide which is banned in India and “appropriate actions will be initiated as fit”.
