Top Food Safety Official Says Most Samples Showed No Ethylene Oxide:
FSSAI tests MDH and Everest spices, says no ethylene oxide was found and orders a pan-India inspection. This is facilitated in towns in Singapore and Hong Kong where Ethylene Oxide fumigation needs to be tested for transit consignments before any shipment consignment containing spices like fenugreek, nutmeg, pepper, and curry leaves can be exported, in respect to Spices Board regulations.
NEW DELHI — Most of the samples of MDH and Everest brand spices taken from the premises of the companies and tested by 28 labs did not find residue of ethylene oxide (EtO), an official of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said. Of the 34 reports, samples of 28 reports sent from different states did not contain any trace of ethylene oxide, he relayed, adding that the lab reports were also evaluated by a scientific panel set up by FSSAI. FSSAI had collected over 300 spice samples of a number of brands after Singapore and Hong Kong stopped the sale of some spice brands.
