The Crossbill News Desk
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has cancelled the manufacturing licenses of 111 spice producers across the country over the past month and directed them to halt the production process immediately.
The FSSAI's action follows Singapore and Hong Kong's decision to halt the sales of certain MDH and Everest spices due to suspected high levels of ethylene oxide, which is linked to certain cancers.
Following the ban, the FSSAI has started checking the quality of powdered spices from various brands, a report in The Times of India said.
Among those whose licenses have been revoked are some of the biggest spice brands in the country, such as Catch, MDH, Everest, and Badshah and others. Reportedly, around 4,000 samples have been collected nationwide so far, with testing conducted on nearly 2,200 samples by the food regulatory body.
It is being speculated that more cancellations are imminent as the FSSAI continues to test additional samples, the report said.
According to FSSAI officials, the manufacturers whose licenses have been cancelled are mostly small spice makers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with companies from Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh also under scrutiny.
The TOI report stated that spices produced by 111 small-scale firms lacked basic standard quality. Additionally, most of these 111 companies lacked official websites, contact numbers, or email IDs.
The spice producers mixed adulterants such as starch, sawdust, artificial colors, and chemical dyes to increase volume and reduce production costs, compromising the quality and safety of the spices. The most commonly adulterated spices include chilli powder, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander powder, and other common spice variants.
In June, quality tests conducted by the Rajasthan government also found spices from several brands, including top brands like Everest and MDH, to be 'unsafe' for consumption.
Nepal had already banned the sale and import of certain spice-mix products made by Indian brands due to alleged quality issues. Furthermore, countries like New Zealand, the United States, and Australia have indicated they are investigating these concerns.
The FSSAI's action follows Singapore and Hong Kong's decision to halt the sales of certain MDH and Everest spices due to suspected high levels of ethylene oxide, which is linked to certain cancers.
Following the ban, the FSSAI has started checking the quality of powdered spices from various brands, a report in The Times of India said.
Among those whose licenses have been revoked are some of the biggest spice brands in the country, such as Catch, MDH, Everest, and Badshah and others. Reportedly, around 4,000 samples have been collected nationwide so far, with testing conducted on nearly 2,200 samples by the food regulatory body.
It is being speculated that more cancellations are imminent as the FSSAI continues to test additional samples, the report said.
According to FSSAI officials, the manufacturers whose licenses have been cancelled are mostly small spice makers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with companies from Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh also under scrutiny.
The TOI report stated that spices produced by 111 small-scale firms lacked basic standard quality. Additionally, most of these 111 companies lacked official websites, contact numbers, or email IDs.
The spice producers mixed adulterants such as starch, sawdust, artificial colors, and chemical dyes to increase volume and reduce production costs, compromising the quality and safety of the spices. The most commonly adulterated spices include chilli powder, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander powder, and other common spice variants.
In June, quality tests conducted by the Rajasthan government also found spices from several brands, including top brands like Everest and MDH, to be 'unsafe' for consumption.
Nepal had already banned the sale and import of certain spice-mix products made by Indian brands due to alleged quality issues. Furthermore, countries like New Zealand, the United States, and Australia have indicated they are investigating these concerns.
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