Government Initiates Nationwide Spice Sampling Amid Cancer-Causing Ingredient Alert

New Delhi: Following red flags raised by food regulators in Hong Kong and Singapore regarding cancer-causing ingredients in certain products of popular Indian spice brands MDH and Everest, the Indian government has ordered food commissioners nationwide to collect samples of spices from all manufacturing units. Top government sources revealed that the food commissioners have been alerted, and the process of sample collection has commenced. Samples will be obtained from all spice manufacturing companies across the country, not limited to MDH and Everest. The lab reports are expected within 20 days.

"All the food commissioners of the country have been alerted. The process of collecting samples of spices has been started. The order has been given. In three to four days, samples will be collected from all the spice manufacturing units of the country," top government sources have said.

Hong Kong and Singapore’s action on MDH and Everest 

Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) cautioned against four products from MDH and Everest due to the alleged presence of ethylene oxide exceeding permissible limits. Ethylene oxide is classified as a 'Group 1 carcinogen' by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

MDH's Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala, and Curry Powder, along with Everest's Fish Curry Masala, were flagged for containing ethylene oxide. The regulators instructed vendors to halt sales and remove the affected products from shelves.

The Indian government reiterated a ban on ethylene oxide in food items and vowed strict action against harmful substances found in Indian spices, including the possibility of criminal proceedings. The Spice Board, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has been urged to raise awareness about avoiding harmful elements in spice products.

While MDH and Everest Foods are yet to comment on the claims, the government assured that samples have been regularly tested even before the incidents in Hong Kong and Singapore, with no harmful elements detected in spices of various brands available in the Indian market so far.

Ethylene oxide, a flammable gas, serves as a disinfectant and fumigant, primarily used to sterilize medical equipment and reduce microbial contamination in spices. However, prolonged exposure to ethylene oxide can lead to various health issues, including cancer, according to the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer and the US Environmental Protection Agency.