Recently Hongkong and Singapore have banned 2 major Indian brands of spices, “Everest” and “MDH”. A recent test allegedly showed that some products of these specific brands contain a harmful amount of pesticide ‘ethylene oxide’. This pesticide being included beyond permissible limits lead to the ban. But recently The American Spice Trade Association has clarified that two entities, the FDA and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency both have determined that it is safe to consume the spices of these brands and the amount of EtO used is not harmful for the consumers.
The different reaction of entities to the same pesticide might arise confusion amongst the common user leading to the dilemma, to use or not to use. The US spice industry body calrified the matter further in a letter to the Spices Board of India, stressing over the fact that the pesticide ‘ethylene oxide’ is safe to use and it is an antimicrobial fumigant that has been approved by US.
The implications of this is huge as India is one of the biggest exporters of spices world wide. In the session of 2022-23 India exported spices worth $4 billion. The global scrutiny towards Indian spices is a big threat to the trade and export. And if other countries follow the path of Singapore and Hongkong, it would affect the tread and might lead to a dramatic down turn.
