Out of 4,054 samples tested between May and early July, 474 did not meet the established quality and safety parameters
New information shows that India’s spice industry has recently experienced increasing quality problems with about 11.97 percent of tested spice samples being substandard. This revelation has emerged after the FSSAI undertook the routine inspections and tests on the mixed spice blends following contamination threats linked to the MDH and the Everest brands.
The pressure increased after Hong Kong stopped the sale of some MDH and Everest spice blends in April owing to high pesticide content. After this, the United Kingdom tightened the screws on all spice imports from India and other nations like New Zealand, the United States, and Australia started a probe into the safety of these brands. Of the 4,054 samples collected and tested between May and early July, 474 samples failed to conform to the laid down quality and safety standards.
The FSSAI confirmed to us that, although it cannot give information by brand, it is taking appropriate actions against the companies concerned. The agency said that “action on non-conforming samples has been taken as stipulated” adding that penalties under Indian law had been taken against the samples. Nevertheless, MDH and Everest continue to defend the safety of their products, which are the main subject of these meals.
The following are some of the most famous brands, which are produced in India, which is a leading producer, exporter and consumer of spices globally. They have their products in Europe, Asia and North America hence the safety concerns raised are a threat to the global markets. Domestic demand and market of spice products in India was estimated to be around 10 billion dollars and 44 billion in 2022.
The country realized record spice export earnings of 4.46 billion dollars in the fiscal year ending March 2023, including 41 billion dollars in sales revenue and 5 billion dollars in other income. But the recent quality scandals might threaten this highly profitable market as international customers may turn away from Indian products due to quality concerns.
With agency inputs
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