Ban on MDH, Everest masala: India seeks details from food regulators of Singapore, Hong Kong
New Delhi (PTI): India, the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, has sought details from food safety regulators of Singapore and Hong Kong, which has banned certain spices of Indian brands MDH and Everest due to quality concerns.
The commerce ministry has also directed Indian embassies in both Singapore and Hong Kong to send a detailed report on the matter.
The ministry has also sought details from the Indian firms -- MDH and Everest, whose products have been banned for allegedly containing pesticide 'ethylene oxide' beyond permissible limits.
"Details have been sought from the companies. Root cause of the rejection and corrective actions will be determined along with the exporters concerned," a commerce ministry official said.
Technical details, analytical reports and the details of the exporters whose consignments have been rejected have been sought from Embassies at Singapore and Hong Kong, the official said.
Details have also been sought from Singapore Food Agency and Centre for Food Safety, and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong, the official added.
The ministry official mentioned that an industry consultation is also scheduled to discuss the issue of mandatory testing of ethylene oxide in spice shipments to Singapore and Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, the Spices Board of India is looking into the ban imposed by Hong Kong and Singapore on the sale of four spice-mix products of Indian brands MDH and Everest.
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.
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
