Everest, a household name for spice mixes in India, has come under fire after its products Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala, Curry Powder, and Fish Curry Masala were banned in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Maldives, owing to the presence of the pesticide ethylene oxide beyond permissible limits. The level of the pesticide in the spice mixes were discovered after testing during Hong Kong’s routine Food Surveillance Programme.
A statement subsequently issued by Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) on April 5 mentioned that ethylene oxide is a group 1 carcinogen and ordered stores to immediately recall the products. The statement also advised against the consumption of the spice mixes.
After Hong Kong’s ban, Singapore and Maldives followed suit. A statement from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on April 18 mentioned CFS’ statement and asked for the Everest Fish Curry Masala to be recalled from all stores. The statement read, “Exposure to this substance should be minimised as much as possible. Consumers who have purchased the implicated products are advised not to consume it. Those who have consumed the implicated products and have concerns about their health should seek medical advice.”
Ethylene oxide is not permitted for usage in food items but can be used to fumigate agricultural products and prevent microbial infection. Long-term exposure to the compound can result in health issues and avoiding exposure to it is advised, especially via food. However, it is to be noted that the levels of ethylene oxide that can be permitted in food items is still under study and testing as the component varies across countries.
FSSAI raises permissible pesticide levels by 10 times
In a surprising move, shortly after the ban of Everest products in Hong Kong, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) increased the Maximum Residue Level (MRL) of pesticide in food products by 10 times (0.1 mg/kg). The MRL for pesticide in food products is 0.01 mg/kg in India.
On April 8, three days after the ban in Hong Kong, the FSSAI issued a statement detailing how the MRL of pesticides is fixed. It said that the MRL in food items, including culinary herbs and spices, are specified under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins, and Residues) Regulation, 2011. “MRLs are fixed based on the field trial data received through the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB & RC), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Until the field trial data is available, MRLs for spices are also fixed based on the data generated under the Monitoring of Pesticide Residues at National Level (MPRNL) scheme by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare,” it explained.
For those pesticides that have been registered with the Ministry of Agriculture but do not have MRL limits, global Codex Alimentarius Commission standards will apply. If the concerned pesticide is not mentioned in Codex, the default measurement of 0.1 mg/kg would be followed. If the pesticides are not registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, the MRL of 0.1 mg/kg will be applicable.
The number of pesticides registered under the CIB & RC in India are 295, of which 139 can be used in spices. Meanwhile, Codex norms apply to 243 pesticides, of which 75 are applicable to spices.
MRL set by FSSAI can be harmful
Despite the MRL limits proposed by the FSSAI, experts are of the opinion that such a level of pesticide in food items can have harmful effects on consumers. The Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India, a non-profit organisation that works to eliminate human and environmental hazards caused by pesticides, wrote to the Chairman of FSSAI highlighting the harms of increasing MRL in spices. The letter, written on April 22, also asked the FSSAI to elaborate on which data provided the rationale to increase the MRLs. It said, “Usually, MPRNL scheme monitors pesticide residues on vegetables in urban markets. Residue monitoring of spices and culinary herbs has to be done and expanded to include testing for most toxic pesticides that are being used.”
Highlighting how the data, project reports, and information on residues detected in commodities as part of MPRNL have not been public since 2018, the letter from PAN added, “Residues for the last five years indicate that percentage of sample detected with presence of residues has been increased from 22.6% in 2018-19 to 35.9% in 2022-23. Additionally, there has been a gradual increase in the percentage of samples detected with residues exceeding MRL. From these facts, it is apparent that agricultural commodities in India are contaminated and loaded with pesticide residues at an alarming level.” The letter also mentioned that several tests on spices in the country have revealed the presence of multiple pesticides and increasing the MRL will result in “increased burden of pesticide load for consumers”.
The CEO of PAN India, Dileep Kumar, told TNM that there is little knowledge about how even low levels of residue in spices, even at 0.01 mg/kg, can impact humans. He said, “Nobody knows how these pesticide residues even at very low levels such as 0.01 or 0.1 mg/kg work in the body of developing babies in the womb, infants, children, adolescents, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and older people. Almost all synthetic pesticides are intrinsically poisonous and even at lower levels, they can contribute to long term adverse effects similar to slow poisoning.”
High MRL to affect Indian spice exports
Apart from drastic health effects, the increase in MRLs is also expected to have a negative impact on Indian spice exports. With Everest masalas being banned in at least three countries so far, Dileep believes that more will follow. He said, “Increased levels of pesticide residues in commodities will invite export rejections in the global market in countries and regions that use lower levels of MRLs. Commodities with increased MRL, that is lower safety margin of pesticides, will not get qualified to be safe to consume in countries that use higher safety margins for products.” Further, the letter from PAN also mentioned how Indian spices, which are recognised for their quality all over the world, would lose recognition due to the revised MRL.
The acceptable levels of ethylene oxide in the European Union is 0.02 to 0.01 mg/kg while it is 0.01 mg/kg in Japan. It is relatively higher in countries like the USA and Canada with 7 mg/kg. According to a report in The Wire, experts say that ethylene oxide becomes toxic “only if not properly aerated, leading to 2-Chloroethanol formation.” 2-Chloroethanol is a toxic component that can be fatal if consumed in large quantities.
In light of the controversy, the Spices Board of India began conducting inspections at MDH, another spice mixes company whose products have faced bans for the presence of ethylene oxide, and Everest manufacturing units on May 21. FSSAI also began collecting and testing samples on April 22 after the masalas were banned in three countries. On May 23, the FSSAI said that it did not find any traces of ethylene oxide in samples of MDH and Everest. According to reports, the samples were tested in 28 laboratories and results from six labs are pending.