MDH and Everest spices are among the most popular in India and are also sold in Europe, Asia and North America.
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Silver Spring, MD
Hong Kong suspended sales of three MDH spice blends and an Everest spice mix for fish curries. Singapore ordered a recall of the Everest spice mix as well, saying it contains high levels of ethylene oxide, which is unfit for human consumption and a cancer risk with long exposure.
According to a Reuters report, Indian spice maker MDH said its products are safe for consumption, and the company has not received any communication from regulators and authorities in Hong Kong or Singapore about alleged contamination in its products.
“We reassure our buyers and consumers that we do not use ethylene oxide at any stage of storing, processing, or packing our spices,” MDH said in a statement. The Reuters reported that the US Food and Drug Administration was gathering information on products of MDH and Everest.
MDH and Everest spices are among the most popular in India and are also sold in Europe, Asia and North America.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is also checking the quality standards of the two companies, following the developments in Hong Kong and Singapore.
India’s Spices Board, the government’s regulator for spice exports, has sought data on MDH and Everest exports from authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore, and was working with the companies to find the “root cause” of the quality issues as inspections started at their plants.
MDH said India’s FSSAI and Spices Board have not received any communication or test report from authorities in Hong Kong or Singapore. Back in 2019, a few batches of MDH products were recalled in the US due to fears of salmonella contamination.
