FSSAI initiates further probe into MDH, Everest spice products, likely to levy fines: Report

FILE PHOTO: A man adjusts the spice boxes of MDH and Everest on the shelf of a shop at a market in New Delhi

India’s food safety regulator has initiated further probe into the products of spice makers MDH and Everest as review of the popular brand intensifies, a report said on June 14.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is also likely to penalise the Indian firms for “unsafe spices”, CNBC-TV18 said in a report.

The report further said that the action has been taken after adverse cases were found in several states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Goa. The findings from some of these states showed that the “spices were not safe for consumption”, the channel said.

Also read: Rajasthan finds some MDH and Everest spices unsafe for consumption

In several samples collected from both MDH and Everest, the food department of these states found high levels pesticide and insecticide, CNBC-TV18 report said.

On June 13, Rajasthan state government told the Central government that it found some spices of MDH and Everest “unsafe” for consumption after tests, Reuters reported, as local and global scrutiny of the brands for alleged contamination intensifies.

Also read: Spice giants MDH, Everest under FSSAI quality check scanner amid export recall concerns

The state government has seized 12,000 kg of various spices over alleged contamination, the news agency said in the report.

Also read: MDH reassures safety of spice products amid allegations, denies pesticide presence

The food regulator on May 21 had cleared samples of spice makers from across the country after extensive testing found no traces of ethylene oxide (ETO), a cancer-causing substance, according to news agency ANI. FSSAI had cleared 28 samples and was awaiting lab reports for 6 more samples, ANI had reported.

The tests were conducted after the Hong Kong Food Authority had raised concerns recently, following which certain spice products from M/s Mahashian Di Hatti Pvt Ltd (MDH) and M/s Everest Food Products Pvt Ltd (Everest) were recalled for excessive ETO levels.