India Requests Information from Singapore and Hong Kong Regarding “Masala” Row; Everest Responds, “Not Banned, Spices Safe”

India Requests Information from Singapore and Hong Kong Regarding “Masala” Row; Everest Responds, “Not Banned, Spices Safe”

The Indian spice company Everest, which has been under investigation in Singapore and Hong Kong for “carcinogenic agents” in masalas, has stated that its products are safe to eat. The company made it clear that neither country has outlawed their spices.

The company stated that all of its items undergo thorough inspections before to shipment and export, according to a Times of India story.

Every consignment is subjected to a quality check by the Spice Board of India, it was reported. They further stated that their quality control team will investigate the matter while they await official communication to comprehend the problem.

According to an Everest representative cited by NDTV, neither Singapore nor Hong Kong have outlawed the company’s spices. The spokesman was further stated to provide clarification on the issue: “Singapore’s food safety authority referred to Hong Kong’s recall alert and asked our Singapore importer to recall and temporarily hold the product for further inspection.”

According to Rajiv Shah, the director of the company, “Exports are cleared only after receiving necessary clearances and approval from the laboratories of the Spice Board of India,” as reported by Reuters. In his words, there was no need for worry because Everest’s products were safe.

The late Vadilal Bhai Shah started the 57-year-old spice company Everest. With operations in over 80 nations worldwide, the firm is reputed to be the biggest producer of pure and blended spices in India.

In addition to Everest, the debate surrounds the spices of Mahashian Di Hatti, also referred to as “MDH.” News18 has been unable to reach MDH for a statement on the matter, even while Everest talked with the national daily.

Based in New Delhi, MDH is the second-biggest player in the Indian market after Everest and is a producer and vendor of spices.

What is the dispute between Everest and MDH?

The sale of four spice-mix products from Indian brands MDH and Everest has been restricted in Hong Kong and Singapore. The items are reportedly over-permitted in their use of the herbicide “ethylene oxide.”

A recall of these spices has been ordered by the Singapore Food Agency, and the Center for Food Safety (CFS) in Hong Kong has warned consumers not to purchase these items and dealers not to sell them.

“A food for consumption by humans containing residue from pesticides may only be sold if consumption of it is not harmful or prejudicial to health,” states the CFS report.

FSSAI TO CHECK THE QUALITY OF INDIA’S SOLD SPICES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROW

Given that Singapore and Hong Kong have raised concerns about the quality of some spice brands, notably MDH and Everest, the food safety agency FSSAI has begun collecting samples of powdered spices from all throughout the nation.

News agency PTI cited a government source as saying, “In view of the current creation, FSSAI is collecting samples from spices of all companies, including the MDH and Everest, off the marketplace to check whether or not they meet the FSSAI norms.”

They added that the Food Safety and Standardization Authority of India (FSSAI) does not control the quality of spices that are exported. “We are investigating the situation. Director of the Spices Board of India A B Rema Shree told PTI, “We are at it.”

In order to verify the quality of products offered in the domestic market, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s FSSAI periodically collects samples of spices from the market.

India RESEARCHES DETAILS FROM SINGAPORE’S AND HONG KONG’S FOOD REGULATORS

In the meantime, Singaporean and Hong Kong food safety authorities have been contacted by India, the world’s biggest producer, importer, and consumer of spices, for more information regarding the controversy.

Additionally, the Indian embassies in Singapore and Hong Kong have been instructed by the trade ministry to submit a thorough report on the issue.

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The government has also requested information from MDH and Everest, two Indian companies, about the purported overuse of the herbicide “ethylene oxide” in excess of allowable levels.We have asked the companies for more information.

The official stated that they have requested technical information, analytical reports, and the identities of the exporters whose shipments have been refused from the embassies in Singapore and Hong Kong. The official stated that the Singapore Food Agency, the Centre for Food Safety, and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong have all been contacted for information.