New Delhi: The Spices Board of India is conducting inspections at MDH and Everest processing plants to ensure spice exports meet international standards.
This action follows Hong Kong’s warning on April 5 against consuming certain products from these manufacturers due to the presence of ethylene oxide (EtO), and Singapore’s recall of Everest’s fish curry masala on April 18 for similar reasons.
Data shared by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Monday (May 21) showed that Maximum Residue Levels (MRL) levels for EtO in Singapore was 50 mg/kg, while it stood at 0.02 to 0.01 mg/kg in the European Union and 0.01 in Japan. The comparable number for the US and Canada was 7 mg/kg. EtO is prohibited to be used in food products in Hong Kong. “In 2023-24, 99.8 per cent of around 1.4 million tonnes of spices have met quality requirements of different countries, and only 0.2 per cent of all consignments were non-compliant. On the other hand, 0.73 per cent of imported food consignments were non-compliant,” a senior official told the Indian Express reported.
Officials noted that EtO is a common fumigant in food and pharmaceuticals, becoming harmful only if not properly aerated, leading to 2-Chloroethanol formation.
While international standards (CODEX) guide MRLs, developed countries often set stricter limits. There is no global consensus on EtO residue levels, with regulations and testing methods differing by country.
“If you look at the majority of food, there is a CODEX committee under WTO which provides minimum residue levels. We treat it as international standards. Now, developed countries are improving the MRL levels. If CODEX says it should be 1, developed countries make it 0.1. India is largely aligned to CODEX,” the official told the daily.
The evolving nature of EtO regulations and the lack of harmonised testing methods globally complicate enforcement, the newspaper noted.
“We should not believe that if a product breaches MRL levels in one country, it cannot be consumed. Some other country might be consuming it. There is no standard on EtO in CODEX. A number of countries have not defined MRL for 2-Chloroethanol,” another official told the newspaper.
Government officials said that EtO regulations are still developing and global testing methods are not standardised. Testing for EtO varies by country, and there is no consensus on measurement among experts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, inconsistent tests led to false positives. The European food safety agency has not yet confirmed the toxicity of 2-Chloroethanol.
“Regulation may not be required for various countries. Lot of my destinations may not impose such requirements. EtO requirement is varying from 0.1 to 7 ppm. There is a 70 fold difference. Regulations are taken up where there is settlement of benchmark, where we feel that there are predominant exports, and there is a need to give some sort of trust. For EtO also we are doing only for the EU,” the official added.
Officials emphasised the need for balanced regulation considering both safety and the economic impact on trade, focusing on predominant export destinations like the EU.
