UK Imposes Stricter Controls on Indian Spice Imports Amid Contamination Concerns

New Delhi: The UK has imposed stricter control measures on spice imports from India following reports of contamination with ethylene oxide, a carcinogen.

The UK’s Food Standards Agency is enforcing these measures due to concerns about pesticide residues. Similar actions have been taken by Hong Kong, which banned and recalled certain spices from Indian brands Everest and MDH, and Singapore, which recalled Everest’s fish curry spice mix. Investigations are also underway in New Zealand, the US, and Australia.

“The use of ethylene oxide is not allowed here and maximum residue levels are in place for herbs and spices,” Deputy Director of Food Policy James Cooper told Reuters.

However, the food safety regulator did not explain the measures that have been taken to scrutinise the quality of the products.

An analysis done by the news agency of the US regulatory data found that since 2021, an average of 14.5% of US shipments of MDH spices were rejected due to presence of bacteria, BBC reported. Both brands insist that their products are safe, it said.

In April, the Hong Kong food safety watchdog banned four spice products of Indian brands MDH and Everest after they found they contained cancer-causing chemicals, ethylene oxide.

In May, Nepal's Department of Food Technology and Quality Control also banned the import, consumption and sale of the two Indian spice brands, ANI reported.

Despite international concerns, the Indian government maintains that its standards are among the strictest globally. The FSSAI raised the maximum pesticide residue limit from 0.01 to 0.1 milligrams per kilogram, aligning with Codex Alimentarius Commission standards where Indian norms are undefined.

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