India's first official reach out: After food regulators of Singapore and Hong Kong banned certain spices of India-based brands MDH and Everest due to quality issues, the Union Commerce Ministry has sought details from the food safety watchdogs of the two Far East nations. The Commerce Ministry has also directed Indian embassies in Singapore and Hong Kong to submit a detailed report on the matter.

The Ministry has also sought details from the the food product making companies MDH and Everest, whose products have been banned for allegedly containing pesticide 'ethylene oxide' beyond permissible limits. "We have sought details from these spice making companies. The root cause of the rejection and corrective actions will be determined along with the exporters concerned," a Commerce Ministry official said.
As per the Ministry official, details pertaining to the technical aspects, analytical reports and the details of the exporters whose consignments have been rejected have been sought from Embassies at Singapore and Hong Kong, the official said. The Singapore Food Agency and Centre for Food Safety, and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong has also been asked to submit details, the Ministry official added.

An industry consultation is also scheduled to discuss the issue of mandatory testing of ethylene oxide in spice shipments to Singapore and Hong Kong, said the official. Meanwhile, the Spices Board of India is doing a fact-finding of the ban imposed by Hong Kong and Singapore on the sale of four spice-mix products of Indian brands MDH and Everest.
The Food safety regulator of Hong Kong has asked consumers not to buy these products and traders not to sell, the Singapore Food Agency has directed a recall of the products. In 2022-23 fiscal, the country exported spices worth nearly Rs 32,000 crore. Chilli, cumin, spice oil and oleoresins, turmeric, curry powder and cardamom are major spices exported. 

(With PTI inputs)