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India’s curry spice recalls in Singapore and Hong Kong prompt calls for tighter food safety standards
- Several products by Indian brands MDH and Everest in Singapore and Hong Kong were found to contain traces of harmful ethylene oxide
- India needs to enhance food safety processes to protect the important spice industry and its business reputation, agricultural experts say
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India has imposed mandatory testing on its spice exports after traces of a potentially cancer-causing compound were found in the products of two popular local brands in overseas markets, as industry players urge the global curry mix powerhouse to tighten its supply chain to restore consumer confidence.
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New Delhi issued guidelines to prevent ethylene oxide contamination in spices last week following recent recalls of products from leading Indian brands MDH and Everest in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Ethylene oxide is a colourless gas used as a pesticide and to make other chemicals.
“The issues have been sorted. We have put in place mandatory tests,” BN Jha, director of marketing at the Spices Board of India, the government regulatory and export promotion agency for Indian spices, told This Week in Asia on Monday .
He noted that the contaminant was found in a consignment shipped 18 months ago and could have occurred naturally.
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India plans to conduct mandatory pre-shipment sample testing for six months, after which it will reassess the situation to see if there are persistent concerns.
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