Food Standard Body Cancels Licenses Of 111 Spice Makers, Mostly From Kerala, Tamil Nadu (Photo @CseWhy)
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the Ministry of Health that regulates the manufacture, distribution, and import of food articles recently cancelled the licenses of 111 space producers across India, as per a report by The Mint.
According to the officials, most of the cancelled licenses are from small producers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In addition, Spice makers from states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are also under scrutiny.
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Food Standards Agency’s move came after some foreign markets banned the sale of Indian spice brands alleging the detection of the carcinogenic pesticide ethylene oxide in several products. The body scrapped the producers’ licenses with immediate effect after samples it collected for checking failed to meet basic quality standards.
In April, Singapore and Hongkong banned sale of Indian brand spices such as MDH Pvt. Ltd, and Everest Food Products Pvt, citing contamination. In May, UK also imposed strict control on Indian spice imports.
As the authority is conducting nationwide testing, more cancellations of the licenses are expected. Around 4,000 samples are undergoing quality checks by the central agency for establishing quality standards. Noting the lower number of testing canters, the report said that it would take more time to complete the process.
FSSAI has also asked all 111 producers to halt its production. The decision came after it found samples of spices from India with more than permissible levels of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing pesticide.
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The test parameter includes moisture content, insect and rodent contamination, heavy metals, aflatoxins, and pesticide residues and it is being conducted at NABL-accredited laboratories. The central body also said that it had been issuing warnings since 2023, as per a report by Times of India.
It is reported that some of the most adulteration-prone spices include turmeric, chilli powder, black pepper, cinnamon, and coriander powder. The ingredients such as starch, sawdust, artificial colours, and chemical dyes are known to have compromised the quality of the spice products, posing health trouble to the consumers. The adulterants are used to increased volume and cut production cost.
