US FDA seeks information after Hong Kong suspends sales of Indian spice brands MDH, Everest

• Hong Kong suspended sales of MDH and Everest spice mix.
• Everest has previously stated its spices are safe for consumption.
• The Spices Board of India is seeking evidence of MDH and Everest exports.

HYDERABAD: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is collecting information on products from Indian spice makers MDH and Everest after Hong Kong halted sales of some of their products for allegedly containing high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide.

“The FDA is aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation,” an FDA spokesman said Reuters the manufacture.

This month Hong Kong suspended sales of three MDH spice blends and one Everest spice blend for fish curry. Singapore also ordered a recall of Everest spice mix, saying it contains high levels of ethylene oxide, which is unfit for human consumption and poses a cancer risk with long-term exposure.

MDH and Everest did not immediately respond Reuters requests for comment on the matter.

Everest has previously stated that its spices are safe for consumption. MDH has not responded to inquiries about its products so far.

MDH and Everest spices are among the most popular in India and are also sold in Europe, Asia and North America. India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is now scrutinizing the quality standards of the two companies, following moves in Hong Kong and Singapore.

India’s Spices Board, the government’s spice export regulator, said on Wednesday it had sought evidence of MDH and Everest exports from authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore and was working with the companies to find the “root cause” of the quality problems as inspections. started from their factories.

In 2019, some batches of MDH products were recalled in the US for salmonella contamination.