After claims of contamination, a US food regulator is obtaining information on Indian spices

Following Hong Kong’s sale ban on certain of the goods of Indian spice manufacturers MDH and Everest due to suspected excessive amounts of carcinogenic pesticide, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is collecting data on these items.

An FDA representative told Reuters on Friday that the agency “is aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation.”

This month, sales of three MDH spice mixes and one Everest spice mix for fish curries were halted in Hong Kong. Everest spice mix was also ordered to be recalled by Singapore, who claimed that the product’s high ethylene oxide content made it unsafe for ingestion and that prolonged exposure might cause cancer.

The US FDA’s investigation into the possible contamination of Indian spice items was originally reported by Reuters.

When Reuters reached out to MDH and Everest for comment on this issue, they did not immediately respond.

Everest has already declared that their spices are safe to eat. To yet, MDH has not reacted to inquiries concerning its merchandise.

Among the most well-liked spices in India are MDH and Everest, which are also available in Europe, Asia, and North America. In response to the actions in Hong Kong and Singapore, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), India’s food regulator, is now examining the two firms’ quality standards.

In order to discover the “root cause” of the quality problems, the firms were collaborating with the India Spices Board, the government’s regulatory body for spice exports, which announced on Wednesday that it had requested information from Hong Kong and Singaporean authorities on MDH and Everest shipments. Inspections of the companies’ factories have begun.

A few MDH product batches were recalled in the US in 2019 due to salmonella infection.