Singapore and Hong Kong have recently banned the sale of popular Indian spice brands like MDH Pvt. and Everest Food Products Pvt. due to the detection of carcinogenic pesticide ethylene oxide in their products. Hong Kong's Centre For Food Safety found ethylene oxide in three spice mixes from MDH Group and Everest Group's Fish Curry Masala.
Ethylene oxide is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, posing serious health risks. This isn't the first time Indian spice brands faced international action; in 2023, the US FDA ordered a recall of Everest products due to Salmonella contamination.