After routine screening detected the presence of a cancercausing pesticide – ethylene oxide – in some of the companies’ products, countries including the UK, Australia, the Maldives and the US are ramping up their testing of Indian spice products.
The main blends allegedly found to be contaminated are MDH’s Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Mixed Masala Powder and Mixed Masala Curry Powder, and Everest’s Fish Curry Masala.
When did the India spice controversy start?
On 5 April, Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety suspended the sale of the four spice blends, saying they were contaminated with ethylene oxide, a toxic chemical used as a food stabiliser. Singapore soon followed suit and ordered a recall of the Everest mix, saying it was unfit for human consumption and a cancer risk with long exposure.
Prior to the pesticide contamination, according to one Indian Express report, nearly 31 per cent of products from the Indian spice maker MDH had been rejected by US customs authorities over the past six months. The outlet revealed that the refusal rate of MDH shipments has doubled from 15 per cent to 31 per cent since October last year due to salmonella contamination.
Since the start of the current US federal fiscal year in October 2023, 11 shipments – amounting to nearly one-third of all shipments from MDH containing products categorised as “spices, flavours, and salts” – have been refused entry.
Which countries are affected?
Britain’s food watchdog announced earlier this month that it had implemented additional control measures on all spice imports from India – making it the first country to increase scrutiny of all Indian spices following the allegations against the two brands.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 28, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 28, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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