India seeks details from Singapore, Hong Kong on MDH, Everest spices

INDIA, THE world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, has sought details from food safety regulators of Singapore and Hong Kong, which has banned certain spices of Indian brands MDH and Everest due to quality concerns.

Everest Food Products Tuesday asserted all its products are safe and of high quality. The company, in a statement, also said Everest is not banned in either country. Only one out of 60 Everest products has been held for examination. “This is a standard procedure and not a ban. We reassure our customers that our products are safe and of high quality, so there is no need for concern,” the company spokesperson said.

The Commerce Ministry has also directed Indian embassies in both Singapore and Hong Kong to send a detailed report on the matter.

The ministry has also sought details from the Indian firms — MDH and Everest, whose products have been banned for allegedly containing pesticide ethylene oxide beyond permissible limits.

“Details have been sought from the companies. Root cause of the rejection and corrective actions will be determined along with the exporters concerned,” a Commerce Ministry official said.

Stating that food safety is Everest’s top priority, the spokesperson said, “...all our products undergo stringent quality control checks. Exports are cleared only after receiving necessary clearances & approval from the laboratories of the Spice Board of India.”

Technical details, 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.

Details have also been sought from Singapore Food Agency and Centre for Food Safety, and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong, the official added.

The ministry official mentioned that an industry consultation is also scheduled to discuss the issue of mandatory testing of ethylene oxide in spice shipments to Singapore and Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, the Spices Board of India is looking into 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 the 2022-23 fiscal, the country exported spices worth nearly `32,000 crore.