India's food safety regulator to test MDH, Everest spices for cancer-causing pesticide: Report
PTC News Desk: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ordered quality checks on products from popular Indian spice brands MDH and Everest Group on Monday after allegations that they contained a cancer-causing pesticide, according to Reuters.
According to the report, the inspections will look for the presence of ethylene oxide, a harmful pesticide that is unfit for human consumption and can cause cancer if exposed to it for an extended period of time.
Hong Kong has banned the sale of two popular Indian brands, MDH and Everest. Hong Kong claims that some products of these brands contain the carcinogenic pesticide ethylene oxide. When the pesticide was found, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's Centre For Food Safety collected samples of three of MDH's pre-packaged spice products - 'Madras Curry Powder', 'Sambhar Masala Powder', and 'Curry Powder'; and Everest Group's 'Fish Curry Masala' for testing as part of its routine food surveillance programme.
The CFS also directed the concerned vendors in Tsim Sha Tsui to stop selling the products and remove them from their shelves.
“The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified ethylene oxide as a Group 1 carcinogen. According to the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM), a food for human consumption containing pesticide residue may only be sold if consumption of the food is not dangerous or prejudicial to health. An offender is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction,” the Hong Kong authorities stated.
- With inputs from agencies