Porni Banerjee | ১৭ মে ২০২৪ ১৩ : ০১Porni Banerjee

After Singapore and Hong Kong, Nepal has now imposed a ban on the import, consumption and sale of MDH and Everest spices amid concerns over the presence of cancer-causing chemical - ethylene oxide - in the products. Nepal’s Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has also initiated testing the spices of the two Indian brands to check the traces of the harmful chemical.

“Everest and MDH brand spices which are being imported in Nepal have been banned from import. This comes after the news about traces of harmful chemicals in the spices, ban on import was imposed a week earlier and we also have banned the sales of it in the market,” said Mohan Krishna Maharjan, spokesperson of Nepal"s Department of Food Technology and Quality Control.

“Tests are underway for the chemicals in the spices of these two particular brands. The ban will remain in place until the final report comes up,” he added.

Indian government sources cite that the use of Ethylene oxide (EtO)is permissible to only a limited extent in different countries – ranging from 0.73 percent to 7 percent. It emphasised the need for maintaining a standard limit for the use of EtO by different countries. Additionally, the spices banned in these countries constitute less than one percent of India’s total spice exports.

Meanwhile, following the ban of such spice in various countries, MDH and Everest have now come under the scrutiny in New Zealand, the United States and Australia.

In April, Hong Kong’s food safety body banned four spice products of the two brands, following which Singapore’s Food Agency initiated its ban in view of exceeding permissible levels of the chemical.