The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Tuesday announced that it did not find ethylene oxide (ETO), a food contaminant flagged by foreign countries, in MDH and Everest product samples.
FSSAI had made the announcement after extensive testing of the samples of spices sold by the two companies, reported ANI.
The investigation was carried out after concerns of high ETO, a cancer-causing chemical, levels in some Indian spices that led to Hong Kong and Singapore banning certain products.
A nationwide inspection drive was launched by FSSAI on April 22 after Hong Kong recalled the products. Singapore and Hong Kong halted sales of some spices produced by MDH and Everest over suspected elevated levels of ETO, linked with some cancers.
After raising concerns, FSSAI collected 34 samples of Everest and MDH spices for testing-- 9 from Everest's facilities in Maharashtra and Gujarat, and 25 from those of MDH's in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan.
According to ANI, the tests also included several parameters including moisture content, insect and rodent contamination, heavy metals, aflatoxins, and pesticide residues.
The samples were tested for ethylene oxide at NABL-accredited laboratories as well.
Ethylene Oxide (ETO) is typically used overseas to control the presence of pathogens such as salmonella, however, the use of ETO is not permitted in the UK, with maximum residue levels in place for commodities including herbs and spices.
The FSSAI received around 28 lab reports so far and the chemical was found absent in them. However, the body awaits the results from 6 more samples.
India is the biggest exporter of spices in the world, followed by Vietnam.
In the wake of concerns, Natasha Smith, Deputy Director of Food Policy at the FSA, said that the UK earlier this year applied extra control measures for pesticide residues in spices from India which include ethylene oxide.
The FSA said it had already been issuing early warning alerts for ETO in various spices from India since before January 2023. This is via its monthly imports EWS notifications for enforcement officers at UK ports and local authorities. This encourages enforcement officers to carry out surveillance sampling for ETO, which could then be used to justify amending UK official controls legislation, the watchdog noted.