Spicing it up? Think again

Spices, for the unversed, are full of nutrition and are also helpful in fighting several health issues. It is used in all Indian dishes, literally. But what if they contribute to causing some deadly diseases like cancer?

While some spices like the cayenne pepper and black pepper contain compounds that may boost metabolism and increase calorie expenditure, the presence of ethylene oxide at levels surpassing permissible limits can cause cancer. Understandably, there has been a rising concern recently over spices and mixes after global health regulators flagged contamination in popular brands.

New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide.

Hong Kong suspended the sale of four spice packages manufactured by MDH and Everest on April 5 due to concerns over ethylene oxide, according to several media reports.

Singapore has recalled a packaged spice product for fish curry manufactured by Everest as well.

The US Food and Drug Administration was monitoring the recalls as well.

Even Nepal’s food regulatory body, the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, has said it will test samples of the said products.

“We are aware of the issue,” Vincent Arbuckle, deputy director-general of New Zealand Food Safety, a government body in the Ministry of Primary Industries, has been quoted as saying.

“As MDH and Everest spices are also available in New Zealand, we are looking into it,” he is said to have added.

Ethylene oxide is a chemical used in fumigating spices that is known to cause cancer in humans.

Its use in food sterilisation has been phased out in New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Singapore, the United States and other countries.

“Although some countries still use ethylene oxide, a 2001 study in New Zealand found the residues of ethylene oxide in spices did not represent a significant human health risk because of the low concentrations,” Arbuckle has added.

In response to the recalls, India’s Spices Board — the country’s regulator for spice exports — sought more information on the exports in Hong Kong and Singapore.

“As a proactive measure to address the concerns regarding ethylene oxide (ETO) contamination in spice products, Spices Board, in consultation with the spice industry, has decided to commence mandatory ETO testing in spice consignments exported for Singapore and Hong Kong,” the regulator said in a statement.

“The maximum residue limit (MRL) for ETO in spices as per Singapore Food Agency [regulations] is 50 ppm, whereas Hong Kong has zero tolerance,” the statement said.

“All spice consignments, including ready-to-eat products destined to Singapore and Hong Kong, shall be accompanied with a clear analytical report for ETO issued by Spices Board.”

Ethylene oxide is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which poses serious health risks, including an elevated risk of breast cancer.

The Spices Board defines ethylene oxide as a flammable, colourless gas at temperatures above 10.7 degrees Celsius. It serves as a “disinfectant, fumigant, sterilising agent and insecticide”.

It is mainly used to sterilise medical equipment and to reduce microbial contamination in spices. Besides being produced from natural sources, it can also be generated from water-logged soil, manure, and sewage sludge.

Information on products of Indian spice makers MDH and Everest is being gathered by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This step by the US food authority was initiated after sales of some of their products were halted by Hong Kong due to alleged high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide.

“The FDA is aware of the reports and additional information about the situation is being gathered,” stated an FDA spokesperson recently, as reported by Reuters.

This month, sales of three MDH spice blends and an Everest spice mix for fish curries were suspended by Hong Kong.

Three spice products of MDH — Madras Curry Powder (spice blend for Madras Curry), Sambhar Masala (Mixed Masala Powder), and Curry Powder (Mixed Masala Powder) — along with Everest’s Fish Curry Masala contain “a pesticide, ethylene oxide”, Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) said on April 5. The regulator instructed the vendors “to stop the sale and remove from shelves the affected products”.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) also ordered a recall of Everest’s Fish Curry Masala due to the presence of ethylene oxide at levels “exceeding the permissible limit”. The SFA posted a release on its website on April 18 that said it “has directed the importer, Sp Muthiah & Sons Pte. Ltd., to recall the products. The recall is ongoing.”

Notably, Singapore ordered the recall citing high levels of ethylene oxide, which is considered unfit for human consumption and poses a cancer risk with prolonged exposure. The review of alleged contamination of Indian spice products by the US FDA was first reported by Reuters.

Previous statements from Everest have emphasised the safety of its spices for consumption and called the study ‘False’. MDH and Everest spices are widely popular in India and are also marketed in Europe, Asia, and North America. India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) is currently inspecting the quality standards of both companies following the actions taken by Hong Kong and Singapore, as reported by ANI.

India’s Spices Board, the government regulator for spice exports, has stated that it sought data on MDH and Everest exports from authorities in Hong Kong and Singapore. Additionally, it is collaborating with the companies to identify the “root cause” of the quality issues as inspections commence at their facilities. In 2019, several batches of MDH’s products were recalled in the US due to salmonella contamination, as per media reports.

The European Union has flagged over 400 export-quality products from India between 2019 and 2024 to be highly contaminated. As per reports, most of these spices are riddled with carcinogenic compounds like ethylene oxide — long-term exposure of which is associated with cancers, including lymphoma and leukaemia. The European Food Safety Authority has banned the use of ETO and earlier flagged ETO contamination in Indian spices.

Many reports claim that an industrial colour which is used to dye clothes is mixed with turmeric and chilli powder to make spice powders appear brighter. Apart from pesticides, sawdust and even charcoal powder are common adulterants used in spices like cinnamon and cumin. The report published with a PDF list states that of 400 Indian food products, 14 of the products are known to damage various organs and use dangerous elements like mercury and cadmium in fish among others.

Here are some ways to identify if the spices are adulterated — texture, smell, labelling, certifications, storage conditions, packaging, and always go for local and organic products.

The government, on the other hand, has ordered food commissioners to collect samples of spices from all the manufacturing units in the country, sources said, after food regulators in Hong Kong and Singapore red-flagged a cancer-causing ingredient in certain products of MDH and Everest.

“All the food commissioners of the country have been alerted. The process of collecting samples of spices has been started. The order has been given. In three to four days, samples will be collected from all the spice manufacturing units of the country,” top government sources have been quoted as saying.

“Not just MDH and Everest, samples will be taken from all the spice manufacturing companies. The report will come from the lab in about 20 days,” they added.

Views expressed are personal