New Delhi: Food regulator FSSAI has found no trace of ethylene oxide in samples of spices from two leading brands MDH and Everest, which were tested at 2 accredited laboratories, sources said.
According to him, reports from six other laboratories are still pending.
Last month, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had started taking samples of spices in powder form from all brands including MDH and Everest from across the country in the wake of quality concerns raised by Hong Kong and Singapore.
Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety (CFS) had asked consumers not to buy certain spice blend products from MDH and Everest over the presence of ethylene oxide above acceptable limits.
These products are MDH's Madras Curry Powder, Everest Fish Curry Masala, MD Sambhar Masala Mixed Masala Powder, and MDH Curry Powder Mixed Masala Powder.According to sources, a pan-India campaign was launched on April 22 through food safety commissioners of states and union territories and regional directors of FSSAI.
This included comprehensive inspection of spice manufacturing units and sampling and testing of products manufactured for sale and distribution for consumption in the domestic market.
Sources said the samples of Everest Spices were lifted from two of their manufacturing facilities. He said 25 samples have been picked up from MDH by FSSAI from their 11 manufacturing facilities.
Each product sampled was analyzed for compliance with various quality and safety parameters, including pesticide residues.These samples were analyzed for ethylene oxide (ETO) in NABL-accredited laboratories notified by FSSAI.
The laboratory reports received so far were examined by scientific panel FSSAI and found that the samples did not show any trace of ethylene oxide, the source said.
Similarly, test reports of over 300 samples of spices from other brands were also examined by the scientific panel and they also conclusively indicated the presence of ethylene oxide, he said.
The scientific panel includes eminent scientists from Spice Board, CSMCR (Gujarat), Indian Institute of Spices Research (Kerala), NIFTM (Haryana), BAR (Mumbai), CMPAP (Lucknow), DRDO (Assam), ICAR, National Research Centre. Angoor, (Pune).Sources said the Spice Board has also issued guidelines to spice exporters to use ET as fumigant to sterilize spices to combat microbial contamination as per the standards of importing countries.
According to him, reports from six other laboratories are still pending.
Last month, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had started taking samples of spices in powder form from all brands including MDH and Everest from across the country in the wake of quality concerns raised by Hong Kong and Singapore.
Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety (CFS) had asked consumers not to buy certain spice blend products from MDH and Everest over the presence of ethylene oxide above acceptable limits.
These products are MDH's Madras Curry Powder, Everest Fish Curry Masala, MD Sambhar Masala Mixed Masala Powder, and MDH Curry Powder Mixed Masala Powder.According to sources, a pan-India campaign was launched on April 22 through food safety commissioners of states and union territories and regional directors of FSSAI.
This included comprehensive inspection of spice manufacturing units and sampling and testing of products manufactured for sale and distribution for consumption in the domestic market.
Sources said the samples of Everest Spices were lifted from two of their manufacturing facilities. He said 25 samples have been picked up from MDH by FSSAI from their 11 manufacturing facilities.
Each product sampled was analyzed for compliance with various quality and safety parameters, including pesticide residues.These samples were analyzed for ethylene oxide (ETO) in NABL-accredited laboratories notified by FSSAI.
The laboratory reports received so far were examined by scientific panel FSSAI and found that the samples did not show any trace of ethylene oxide, the source said.
Similarly, test reports of over 300 samples of spices from other brands were also examined by the scientific panel and they also conclusively indicated the presence of ethylene oxide, he said.
The scientific panel includes eminent scientists from Spice Board, CSMCR (Gujarat), Indian Institute of Spices Research (Kerala), NIFTM (Haryana), BAR (Mumbai), CMPAP (Lucknow), DRDO (Assam), ICAR, National Research Centre. Angoor, (Pune).Sources said the Spice Board has also issued guidelines to spice exporters to use ET as fumigant to sterilize spices to combat microbial contamination as per the standards of importing countries.
