New Delhi: Amidst growing concerns over the safety of popular Indian spice brands MDH and Everest, the Rajasthan government has raised alarms, identifying certain batches of their products as unsafe for consumption following rigorous testing.MDH, Everest spices are unsafe In a letter addressed to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Shubhra Singh, a senior health official of Rajasthan, disclosed that samples of various spice products were examined, leading to the identification of a batch of Everest Masala Mix and two batches of MDH spices as unsafe. However, both MDH and Everest have refuted these claims, asserting the safety of their products. Despite repeated attempts, the companies remained unresponsive to the health officers communication.Need for prompt intervention Singhs letter further called for urgent action from the authorities in Gujarat and Haryana, where the implicated batches were reportedly manufactured. Although specifics regarding the sample results were not disclosed in the letter, Singh emphasized the need for prompt intervention following the recent seizure of 12,000 kilograms of spices in Rajasthan over contamination concerns.Hong Kong banned sale of MDH The states health officials revealed that extensive sampling conducted in May detected elevated levels of pesticides in numerous spice samples. This revelation comes in the wake of international scrutiny after Hong Kong banned the sale of certain MDH and Everest spice mixes in April due to the presence of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic pesticide.These countries find it safe The controversy surrounding the safety of MDH and Everest spices has triggered investigations in various countries, including Australia, the United States, and Nepal. Despite the global scrutiny, both brands maintain the safety and integrity of their spice products, which are widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and North America.
