Spices secure, no word from Singapore or Hong Kong: MDH

In the midst of a dispute regarding the purported presence of the pesticide carcinogenic ethylene oxide in certain spice packs, Mahashan Di Hatti, or MDH, stated that the company has not received any correspondence from Singaporean or Hong Kong regulatory bodies and that the claims made are false and devoid of supporting documentation.

The well-known Indian company, which has been around for over a century, said that it never uses ethylene oxide while storing, processing, or packing spices.The fact that relevant regulatory bodies like the Spice Board of India and the FSSAI have not received any correspondence or test results from Hong Kong or Singaporean authorities about this issue lends more credence to MDH’s claim. This serves as more proof that the accusations made against MDH are unfounded, unsupported by any hard data, and unfounded, according to the corporation.

Due to allegations of dangerous food practices, MDH and Everest, two of the largest spice companies in India, are under scrutiny. Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has recalled Everest’s Fish Curry Masala and MDH’s Madras curry powder, Sambhar masala mixed masala powder, and Curry powder mixed masala powder after testing as part of its regular food surveillance program revealed traces of ethylene in the spice packs. Similar notices were also sent out by Singapore over Everest’s Fish Curry Masala. The International Agency for Research on Cancer lists ethylene oxide as a carcinogen.
In the midst of the development, the TOI had reported that the FSSAI had started collecting samples of spices in powder form from all brands across India.

“MDH Group guarantees its customers that MDH adheres to national and international health and safety regulations. The firm said that its motto, “asli masale sach sach,” reflected its sincere desire to provide its clients real, premium spices.

The leading brands in India’s branded spice sector, which experts estimate to be worth well over Rs 20,000 crore, are Everest and MDH. According to statistics from market intelligence portal Tofler, as of FY23, Everest’s operating revenue was Rs 3,053 crore, whereas MDH’s was Rs 2,172 crore.

The All India Consumer goods Distributors Federation (AICPDF) said that it does not see any justification for merchants to cease selling MDH and Everest goods as the FSSAI has not placed any limitations on them. The group said, “We think it is safe for kirana store owners to continue selling these products until FSSAI raises any concerns or restrictions.”