Indian spices under global scrutiny over pesticide contamination

LONDON: Two of the most popular Indian spice brands — MDH and Everest — are facing global scrutiny after Hong Kong, Singapore and Nepal suspended sales of their spice blends last month.

After routine screening detected the presence of a cancer-causing 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.

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. Before the pesticide contamination, according to one Indian Express report, nearly 31 per cent of products from the Indian spice maker MDH were rejected by US customs 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.

Britain’s food watchdog announced earlier this month that it had implemented additional control measures on all spice imports from India. James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), told Reuters that it has “applied extra control measures for pesticide residues in spices from India which includes ethylene oxide”.

New Zealand’s food safety regulator also announced an investigation into spice products from MDH and Everest. The US FDA told Reuters that it is “aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation”. Similar scrutiny has been announced by food regulatory bodies in Bangladesh, Australia and the Maldives and Canada.

According to the US government’s National Cancer Institute, ethylene oxide is used primarily to produce other chemicals, including antifreeze. In smaller amounts, ethylene oxide is used as a pesticide and a sterilising agent. The ability of ethylene oxide to damage DNA makes it an effective sterilising agent but also accounts for causing lymphoma and leukemia. Stomach and breast cancers may also be associated with ethylene oxide exposure.

In a statement, MDH has claimed that its products are safe for consumption. “We reassure our buyers and consumers that we do not use ethylene oxide at any stage of storing, processing, or packing our spices,” an MDH spokesperson was quoted as saying by Livemint last month after Hong Kong suspended the blends.

Everest, which boasts of having Hindi film legend Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador, has also said its spices are safe. According to The Times of India, an Everest spokesperson said: “Only one of 60 Everest products was held for examination. We assure our customers that our products are safe and of high quality, so there is no cause for concern.”

“India has been a spice exporter for centuries. But this image has been declining in the last few years, with the government’s inadequate attention,” the BBC quoted Narasimha Reddy Donthi, an independent researcher and environmental justice activist, as saying.

“It is not only the negative attention. Repeated cases of excessive residues can have a long-term effect. In the past, mango exports to the US suffered for years due to pesticide residues.” According to a report in The Hindu, the international scrutiny of these Indian spice brands has also stirred a demand for the FSSAI to ensure stringent quality checks on spices and curry powders sold in domestic markets. “The incident isn’t isolated. Controversies have engulfed protein drinks, fruit juices, health drinks and imported baby products, drawing attention to regulatory lapses and heightening health concerns,” Simi TB, who works with CUTS International, a global advocacy group for consumer welfare, was quoted as saying. “Consumers are increasingly questioning the safety and quality of trusted brands and wonder what the food regulator in India is doing.”

The Indian government says it has started taking action against Everest and MDH after the contamination allegations. Inspections have reportedly been conducted and corrective measures have been recommended.

A report on 21 May in the Financial Express said that initial testing by Indian officials found no evidence of ethylene oxide in MDH spices but that “in the case of Everest, some of the samples (out of 12) were non-compliant”. The Spices Board of India has also recently ordered that ethylene oxide testing be made mandatory for all spices destined for Hong Kong and Singapore. The Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative has warned that recent quality concerns pose a significant threat to India’s spice exports. The agency warns that increasing regulatory actions across multiple countries could potentially endanger up to half of India’s spice exports.