Govt working with MDH, Everest to ensure adherence to quality norms

The government is testing export samples of spice majors MDH and Everest and inspecting their production facilities to ensure adherence to all quality norms and initiate corrective actions wherever required to prevent further cases of recall in foreign markets, senior officials have said.

This follows the recall of three spice blends exported by MDH and a fish curry mix exported by Everest in Hong Kong and Singapore last month due to the presence of EtO (ethylene oxide) — a  chemical with possible carcinogenic properties — beyond permissible limits.

“We have carried out sample testing from both of these companies. We are working with the companies and have asked them to take corrective action wherever required,” an official tracking the matter said on Monday.

• Also read: Under Scanner: Everest Spices says food safety top priority, products undergo stringent quality checks

The mandatory sampling and testing for EtO residues, implemented for all spice shipments to Singapore and Hong Kong starting May 7, 2024, will be reviewed after six months and may then be discontinued if everything is in order, the official added.

The Spices Board is also working on increasing awareness among exporters about the specific MRL (maximum residue limits) requirements in major markets, which vary widely, ranging from zero in Hong Kong to 50 in Singapore, and the need to ensure that distributors don’t mix up the destinations, the official said.

The Spices Board is also working on increasing awareness among exporters about the specific MRL (maximum residue limits) requirements in major markets, which vary widely, ranging from zero in Hong Kong to 50 in Singapore, and the need to ensure that distributors don’t mix up the destinations,” the official said.

• Also read: Spices maker MDH says its products safe for consumption, received no communication from Hong Kong or Singapore

“Often spices are exported to different markets through distributors. The government has asked exporters to be very careful and secure their supply chains. They should ensure that distributors don’t send shipments for a particular market with a specific MRL to another market which has a different requirement,” the official explained.

There is no international standard for EtO. Different countries fix their own MRLs for pesticides based on their country-specific good agricultural practices (GAP) and dietary consumption patterns. 

The detailed guidelines for preventing EtO contamination issued to exporters earlier this month also have details on the MRL limits in major markets.

Failure of some samples happens in all countries, and India’s sample failure rate is less than 1 per cent, the official said.

“In 2023-24, 99.8 per cent of around 1.4 million tonnes of spices have met quality requirements of different countries, and only 0.2 per cent of all consignments were non-compliant,” the official said.

About 0.73 per cent of imported food consignments were non-compliant. There is a drastic decline in alerts on Indian food commodities export to the European Union on account of EtO.

India’s exports of spices increased to $4.25 billion in 2023-24 compared to $3.7 billion in 2022-23. Major spices exported include chilli powder, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, mixed spices, spice oils and oleoresins.

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