Following testing conducted by 28 laboratories, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has reported that the majority of samples from MDH and Everest spice brands showed no trace of ethylene oxide (EtO). According to an FSSAI official, out of 34 reports, 28 indicated no presence of ethylene oxide, with the lab reports thoroughly examined by a scientific panel at FSSAI.
The testing was initiated after Singapore and Hong Kong suspended the sale of certain spice blends from MDH and Everest due to high levels of ethylene oxide, a pesticide deemed unfit for human consumption and posing a long-term cancer risk. In response, FSSAI obtained over 300 samples of spices from various brands and ordered nationwide testing across spice manufacturing units, particularly those producing curry powders and mixed spice blends.
Additionally, FSSAI instructed its officials to conduct extensive inspections, sampling, and testing at all spice manufacturing units, with a particular focus on quality assurance. State governments were also directed to ensure the quality of spices through testing. Separately, India’s Spices Board mandated ethylene oxide testing for all spices exported to Hong Kong and Singapore.
Spices are a crucial export commodity for India, with exports totaling $4.25 billion last fiscal year, comprising a 12% share of global spice exports, according to the economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). FSSAI collected nine samples of Everest spices from facilities in Maharashtra and Gujarat and 25 samples from 11 manufacturing units of MDH, with each sample analyzed for compliance with quality parameters such as moisture content, insect contamination, and volatile oil content.