After Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Maldives banned spices from Indian brands MDH and Everest, Australia’s food safety agency is now investigating. Australia is looking into claims that some spices sold by MDH and Everest might have some unwanted chemicals. They want to check if they need to ban any of the products to keep people safe.
MDH and Everest masala are presently banned in Australia
Food Standards Australia New Zealand informed some outlets, “We’re talking to other nations to figure out what is going on, and we’re also consulting with food safety agencies across Australia to see if we need to do anything here.”
Right now, MDH Spices and Everest Spices can’t be sold in Australia. They’re banned because they contain ethylene oxide, just like in other countries.
Australia investigating MDH and Everest spice composition
The food safety agency in Australia mentioned that using ethylene oxide to treat food isn’t allowed in the country. The Australian government also said that they might have to take more steps, like banning all the products if necessary. Singapore already ordered a recall for the Everest mix, and Hong Kong stopped selling three MDH spice mixes due to similar concerns about ethylene oxide.
Meanwhile, the Indian government wants more information from food safety regulators in Hong Kong and Singapore after they banned some spices from Indian brands MDH and Everest. They’re also asking MDH and Everest for details about all of their spices.
The ban happened because these brands allegedly had too much of the pesticide ‘ethylene oxide’ in their spices. MDH and Everest had previously said their products are safe to eat. These brands are quite popular in India and are sold in many countries across Europe, Asia, and North America.
