Boxes of Everest fish curry masala are stacked on the shelf of a store at a market in Srinagar, April 23, 2024. File Photo
| Photo Credit: Reuters
After Singapore and Hong Kong, Nepal has additionally banned the sale and import of sure spice-mix products manufactured by Indian manufacturers over alleged quality concerns.
Four spice-mix products by MDH and Everest have been banned within the Himalayan nation from Friday resulting from suspected ethylene oxide or EtO contamination, in accordance with the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control right here.
Under this, Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Mixed Masala Powder; Mixed Masala Curry Powder of MDH and Fish Curry Masala of Everest have been banned in Nepal.
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“As residue contents of ethylene oxide are found to be exceeding the prescribed limit in these four products, the import and sale of these products are banned within the country as per Article 19 of the Food Regulation 2027 B.S.,” the division stated in a discover issued on Friday.
“Our serious attention has been drawn towards media reports about the sale of these sub-standard products in the market, and they are harmful for consumption,” it stated.
The meals quality management watchdog has additionally urged importers and merchants to recall these products from the market.
Last month, Singapore and Hong Kong halted gross sales of some spices produced by MDH and Everest over suspected elevated ranges of ETO linked with some cancers.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has since initiated steps to look at the quality of powdered spices from varied manufacturers within the nation.
On Friday, the Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders (FISS) stated India’s spice export could decline practically 40% in FY25 if the difficulty of ethylene oxide contamination in spices meant for exports will not be addressed on the earliest.
India is among the many world’s main spice producers, exporting over 200 spices and value-added products to some 180 international locations price $4 billion in 2021-22, in accordance with the Spices Board of India.
