Following steps taken by Hong Kong and Singapore, the Maldives has also decided to stop selling two Indian spice brands, Everest and MDH. Singapore took action against Everest Food Products Pvt. last week, saying they found too much ethylene oxide in their products. Then, Hong Kong followed suit by banning the sale of the popular Indian spice brands MDH Pvt. and Everest Food Products Pvt.
The Maldives recently announced a ban on the sale of two popular Indian spice brands, Everest and MDH. The decision came after the Maldives Food and Drug Authority detected the presence of ethylene oxide in these spices. Ethylene oxide is commonly used to fumigate agricultural products but is not considered safe for use in food.
The Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) mentioned that both the Singapore Food Agency and Hong Kong’s Center for Food Safety have warned people about using these products. The MFDA said these spice brands are commonly brought into the Maldives and used a lot, so they decided to check how risky they are.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer says ethylene oxide is bad for you. It’s in a group of things that can cause cancer in people, called Group 1 carcinogens. As per reports, ethylene oxide has been proven to be harmful to humans. When you breathe in or swallow ethylene oxide, it can get inside your body. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, being exposed to ethylene oxide can make you more likely to get certain types of cancer, like lymphoid cancer. Ethylene oxide can also increase the chances of getting breast cancer in women.
Being around ethylene oxide for a long time can be harmful. If you’re around it for just a short time, you might feel sad and your eyes and throat might hurt. But if you’re around it for a long time, it can cause even more problems. It can make your eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs feel irritated. Ethylene oxide can even affect your brain and nervous system.
Earlier Everest and MDH were banned in Hong Kong and Singapore
Singapore and Hong Kong have raised concerns about spices from India. They say some of these spices contain a harmful chemical called ethylene oxide. Singapore warns that although ethylene oxide is used to clean spices, too much of it can be bad for health. They also mention that ethylene oxide is not meant for food. In Hong Kong, tests found ethylene oxide in some spice samples. As a result, they stopped selling those spices. MDH’s Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala Powder, Curry Powder, and Everest’s Fish Curry Masala are among the spices they stopped selling.
Singapore and Hong Kong are taking steps to protect people’s health by taking some serious actions associated with ethylene oxide in spices.
