Row over spices, govt seeks details from Singapore, Hong Kong

PTI

New Delhi, April 23

India, the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, has sought details from food safety regulators of Singapore and Hong Kong, which have reportedly banned certain spices of Indian brands due to quality concerns.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has also directed Indian embassies in both countries to send a detailed report on the matter. It has also sought details from the Indian firms, MDH and Everest, whose products have allegedly been banned for “containing pesticide ethylene oxide beyond permissible limits”.

“Details have been sought from the companies. Root cause of the rejection and corrective actions will be determined along with the exporters concerned,” a ministry official said. The official said an industry consultation was also scheduled to discuss the issue of mandatory testing of ethylene oxide in spice shipments to Singapore and Hong Kong. The Spices Board of India is looking into the ban imposed by Hong Kong and Singapore on the sale of four spice-mix products of MDH and Everest.

Meanwhile, Everest Food Products on Tuesday asserted all its products “are safe and of high quality”. The company, in a statement, claimed Everest was not banned in either country. “Only one out of 60 Everest products has been held for examination. This is a standard procedure and not a ban,” it said.