Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has taken decisive action by banning four spice products from renowned Indian brands MDH and Everest. The move comes after tests detected the presence of ethylene oxide, a chemical categorized as a carcinogen. The affected products include MDH's Madras Curry Powder, Mixed Masala Powder, and Sambhar Masala, as well as Everest's Fish Curry Masala.
The decision has reverberated internationally, prompting Singapore's Food Agency (SFA) to also issue a recall, specifically targeting Everest's Fish Curry Masala due to ethylene oxide levels surpassing permissible limits. While the SFA assured consumers that immediate risks from low levels of this pesticide are minimal, they underscored the potential dangers associated with prolonged consumption due to its carcinogenic nature.
The discoveries arose during routine food surveillance programs in Hong Kong. The jurisdiction's legal framework, particularly the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM), prohibits the sale of food products containing pesticide residues deemed hazardous to health.
In response to the bans, the CFS has mandated vendors to remove the implicated products from the market and has initiated further investigations into the matter. They have indicated that subsequent actions may be taken pending the outcome of these investigations.
The international scrutiny has led India's food safety regulator to announce plans for quality checks on MDH and Everest Group products to detect ethylene oxide presence. These checks aim to ensure compliance with safety standards and mitigate potential health risks to consumers. The industry awaits the results of these inspections, as neither MDH nor Everest has issued public statements addressing the issue.