Spices Board examining S'pore, Hong Kong ban on few MDH and Everest products on quality concern
New Delhi, Apr 22: Spices Board of India on Monday said it is looking into the ban imposed by Hong Kong and Singapore on the sale of four spices-mix products of Indian brands MDH and Everest, which allegedly contain pesticide 'ethylene oxide' beyond permissible limits.
While the food safety regulator of Hong Kong has asked consumers not to buy these products and traders not to sell, the Singapore Food Agency has directed a recall of the products.
"We are looking into the matter. We are at it," Spices Board of India Director A B Rema Shree told PTI.
The companies could not be contacted immediately.
In its April 5 statement, the Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety (CFS) said that the samples of several kinds of pre-packaged spice-mix products of two Indian brands were found to contain a pesticide, ethylene oxide. These products are MDH's Madras Curry Powder (Spice blend for Madras Curry), Everest Fish Curry Masala, MDH Sambhar Masala Mixed Masala Powder, MDH Curry Powder Mixed Masala Powder.
"Investigations are ongoing," CFS said.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Authority has directed "members of the public should not consume the affected products. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected products immediately if they possess any of them," the statement said.
The CFS collected the samples from three retail outlets in Tsim Sha Tsui, respectively for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. "The test results showed that the samples contained a pesticide, ethylene oxide," a CFS spokesperson said in a statement.
The CFS has informed the vendors concerned of the irregularities and instructed them to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected products, it added.
According to the CFS's directive, the distributors and importers concerned have initiated recalls on the affected products. CFS said the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified 'ethylene oxide' as a Group 1 carcinogen. CFS said an offender who sells food items containing pesticide residue beyond permissable limits is liable to a maximum fine of USD 50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction.
After Hong Kong's directive, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) also ordered a recall of imported 'Everest Fish Curry Masala' from India and the recall is ongoing.
"The Centre for Food Safety in Hong Kong has issued a notification on the recall of Everest Fish Curry Masala from India due to the presence of ethylene oxide at levels exceeding permissible limit," SFA said in a statement last week. India is the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices.
In 2022-23 fiscal, the country exported spices worth nearly Rs 32,000 crore. Chilli, cumin, spice oil and oleoresins, turmeric, curry powder and cardamom are major spices exported.
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Man hurls shoe at Swami Prasad Maurya in Agra, arrested
Agra, May 3: A man hurled a shoe at national president of Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party Swami Prasad Maurya during a rally here on Friday.
The man, identified as Dharmendra Dhakrey, has been and further action is being taken against him, Dauki SHO Rampal Singh said.
A spokesperson of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) claimed that Dhakrey is associated with the organisation.
Maurya in February left the Samajwadi Party and formed the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party.
The incident happened this evening when Maurya was addressing a rally in support of the party candidate from Fatehpur Sikri in Dauki.
Talking to PTI, ABHM spokesperson Sanjay Jaat said, "One of our members hurled a shoe at Maurya when he was delivering his speech in Dauki. We were against the leader over his remarks against Ramcharitmanas.”
Maurya striked a controversy by alleging that certain verses in the Ramcharitmanas, a sacred text in the Awadhi language based on the epic Ramayana, "insult" a large section of the society on the basis of caste and hence, those should be banned.
"We have also written letters in blood and appealed to admit him in a mental asylum for disrespecting the Hindu saints and Ramcharitmanas," Jaat said.
The members of the mahasabha also threw ink on Maurya’s cavalcade and brandished black flags when it was passing from Fatehabad.
The members threw black ink on the cavalcade and chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans.
“We have been following Maurya’s cavalcade from the Fatehabad toll on Agra-Lucknow Expressway. Some of the members protested at Fatehabad and showed black flags when it was passing. Besides, they also threw ink on his car,” Jaat said.
While leaving the party, Maurya accused the SP leadership of discriminating against him and not defending him over his statements on the Ramcharitmanas and the Ayodhya temple consecration ceremony.
He had joined the Samajwadi Party leaving the BJP ahead of the 2022 assembly polls, contesting the elections unsuccessfully from Fazilnagar.
Before joining BJP in 2016, Swami Prasad Maurya was in the BSP and was leader of opposition in the Akhilesh yadav regime.
Recently, Maurya announced to contest the elections from Kushinagar Lok Sabha seat.
#WATCH | In Fatehabad, Agra, a youth threw a shoe at Swami Prasad Maurya, the National President of the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party. Maurya narrowly escaped the attack, and the police arrested the accused youth.#agra #Fatehabad #UP #SwamiPrasadMaurya #viralvideo #ABPLive pic.twitter.com/mIKsoLamue
— ABP LIVE (@abplive) May 3, 2024
