New Delhi: Authorities in Rajasthan have written a letter to the Centre after the state’s health department found some spices manufactured by brands such as MDH and Everest to be ‘unsafe’ for consumption after tests, reported Reuters.
According to the Reuters report, the Rajasthan government had checked samples of many spices and had discovered that a batch of Everest spice mix and two spices of MDH were unsafe. Rajasthan Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Shubhra Singh has written letter to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), highlighting the issue.
The development comes at a time when the two brands have been facing scrutiny globally as well.
In April this year, Hong Kong suspended the sale of three types of spices manufactured by MDH and one spice of Everest, saying they contained high levels of ethylene oxide, a pesticide that causes cancer, said the Reuters report.
Thereafter, food safety authorities in India have been testing more samples from the two brands.
After Hong Kong, authorities in Singapore too ordered a recall of the Everest mix. At the same time, New Zealand, the United States and Australia have stated that they were looking into the issues.
Britain has applied extra controls on the spices being imported by the country from India, the world’s biggest exporter, producer and consumer of spices.
Both MDH and Everest have maintained that their spices, which are exported across the world and are hugely popular in India, are safe for consumption.
Reuters quoted the letter written by ACS Singh of the Rajasthan government wherein the senior official has said that the Gujarat and Haryana governments should take immediate action since spices of both the brands are manufactured in these two states.