The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is reportedly going for a pan-India sampling and testing drive of spices and infant nutrition products to check on safety and quality parameters.
FSSAI, according to reports, has directed food safety commissioners across States and UTs to pick up samples. The food safety regulator has also launched a probe into allegations of Nestle selling baby food products with higher sugar content in the country, a CNBC-TV18 report claimed.
The probe will check for violation by Nestle and other brands selling baby food and formula milk.
The regulator move on spices comes after Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety asked consumers not to consume and traders not to sell three spice products of brand MDH and one spice product of brand Everest allegedly over presence of a pesticide called ethylene oxide on April 5.
This was followed by the Singapore Food Agency recalling Everest’s Fish Curry Masala allegedly over presence of ethylene oxide “at levels exceeding permissible limits”, on April 18.
FSSAI is tasked with enforcement of standards and regulations only in the domestic market. Spice Board of India evaluates spice products prior to exports and is also expected to look into this issue.
"In view of the current development, FSSAI is taking samples of spices of all brands, including MDH and Everest, from the market to check whether they meet the FSSAI norms," a PTI story quoting sources claimed.
FSSAI, which operates under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, takes samples of spices regularly from the market to check the quality of product sold in the domestic market.
The Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety (CFS) has asked consumers not to buy these products and traders not to sell, while the Singapore Food Agency has directed a recall of such spices.
These products are MDH's Madras Curry Powder (spice blend for Madras curry), Everest Fish Curry Masala, MDH Sambhar Masala Mixed Masala Powder, and MDH Curry Powder Mixed Masala Powder. These products are MDH's Madras Curry Powder (spice blend for Madras curry), Everest Fish Curry Masala, MDH Sambhar Masala Mixed Masala Powder, and MDH Curry Powder Mixed Masala Powder.