India, the world’s largest producer, consumer, and exporter of spices, has requested information from food safety regulators in Singapore and Korea regarding the ban imposed on specific spices from Indian brands MDH and Everest due to quality concerns. The commerce ministry has instructed Indian embassies in both countries to submit detailed reports on the matter.
The commerce ministry has also sought clarification from MDH and Everest regarding the alleged presence of pesticide ‘ethylene oxide’ beyond permissible limits in their banned products. An official from the commerce ministry stated, “Details have been sought from the companies. The root cause of the rejection will be determined along with the exporters concerned.”