Hong Kong bans sale of Everest, MDH spice mix over pesticide

The Hong Kong government has issued a ban on four products from Indian manufacturers MDH Pvt. and Everest Food Products Pvt. due to the discovery of pesticide ethylene oxide in the samples. The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department stated that "samples of several kinds of prepackaged spice mix products were found to contain a pesticide, ethylene oxide." The public has been advised not to consume the affected products. If any of these products are in their possession, traders should immediately cease selling or using them, according to a press release dated April 5.

The banned products include MDH’s Madras curry powder, sambhar masala mixed masala powder, and curry powder mixed masala powder, as well as Everest’s fish curry masala.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has also ordered the recall of Everest’s fish curry masala, citing the presence of the pesticide ethylene oxide at levels unsuitable for human consumption. A press release dated April 18 stated, “The Centre for Food Safety in Hong Kong has issued a notification on the recall of Everest Fish Curry Masala from India due to the presence of ethylene oxide at levels exceeding the permissible limit. As the implicated products were imported into Singapore, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has directed the importer, Sp Muthiah & Sons Pte. Ltd., to recall the products. The recall is ongoing.”

The CFS reported that the samples were collected from three retail outlets in Tsim Sha Tsui for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. "The test results showed that the samples contained a pesticide, ethylene oxide. The CFS has informed the vendors concerned of the irregularities and instructed them to stop the sale and remove from shelves the affected products."

According to the CFS, "the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified ethylene oxide as a Group 1 carcinogen. According to the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM), a food for human consumption containing pesticide residue may only be sold if consumption of the food is not dangerous or prejudicial to health."

An offender, according to the CFS, "is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction."