111 spice companies nationwide have had their manufacturing licenses revoked by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in June 2024. They have been told to stop production with immediate effect.
Since the sale of well-known Indian spice brands MDH Pvt. Ltd. and Everest Food Products Pvt. Ltd. was banned in Singapore and Hong Kong in April, the food regulator has been gathering samples from all around the nation.
Following the alleged presence of the hazardous pesticide ethylene oxide in multiple items, well-known brands were outlawed.
Ethylene oxide is used as a pesticide and a sterilizing agent in smaller amounts. The ability of ethylene oxide to damage DNA makes it an effective sterilizing agent, but it also accounts for its cancer-causing activity.
As a result, 4,000 samples have been gathered thus far, and almost 2,200 samples have undergone testing. As long as FSSAI tests more samples, there could be more cancellations.
Famous companies like Everest, MDH, Catch, and Badshah are among those whose licenses have already been revoked.
The majority of producers whose licenses have been revoked are from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Numerous businesses from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat are also being investigated.
The majority of the businesses whose licenses have been revoked are small businesses.
Many common ingredients, including cinnamon, coriander powder, black pepper, turmeric, and chili powder, may have been adulterated.
In order to boost volume and reduce production costs, spice makers utilize illicit substances, including sawdust, starch, fake colors, and chemical dyes, which compromise the safety and quality of these spices.
The FSSAI has announced that, in response to adulteration concerns, the permitted pesticide levels will be increased by 10 times in order to prevent additional adulteration.
