The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is collecting data on products from Indian spice manufacturers MDH and Everest. This action comes after Hong Kong suspended sales of certain products from these companies due to allegations of containing elevated levels of a pesticide known to cause cancer.
“The FDA is aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation,” an FDA spokesperson told Reuters on Friday.
This month, Hong Kong suspended sales of three MDH spice blends and an Everest spice mix for fish curries. Singapore also mandated a recall of the Everest spice mix, citing elevated levels of ethylene oxide, which poses health risks, including cancer with prolonged exposure.
Reuters broke the news of the U.S. FDA’s investigation into the alleged contamination of Indian spice products.
Both MDH and Everest have not yet responded to Reuters’ requests for comment on the issue. Everest has previously asserted the safety of its spices for consumption, while MDH has not addressed inquiries about its products.
MDH and Everest spices are widely popular in India and are distributed in Europe, Asia, and North America. India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is currently evaluating the quality standards of these companies following the regulatory actions taken in Hong Kong and Singapore.
India’s Spices Board, responsible for regulating spice exports, announced on Wednesday that it had requested export data on MDH and Everest from authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore. The board is collaborating with the companies to identify the root cause of the quality issues, while inspections at their plants have commenced.
In 2019, certain batches of MDH products were recalled in the U.S. due to salmonella contamination.