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In April 2024, India’s food regulator, FSSAI, began collecting powdered-spice samples from multiple brands after overseas authorities raised concerns about Indian spice products. The trigger was a Hong Kong food-safety alert reporting ethylene oxide in samples of four named spice mixes. This is a historical account of that response—not notice of a new sampling action or a current warning about all products from the brands.
What prompted the Indian sampling?
On 5 April 2024, Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS), part of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, said laboratory tests found ethylene oxide in samples of several prepackaged spice mixes made in India. The CFS said it had collected the samples from three retail outlets in Tsim Sha Tsui through its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The Hong Kong government announcement and the CFS notice describe the finding and response.
Indian news reports followed later that month. India Today reported on 22 April that FSSAI was likely to investigate, citing sources; The Times of India reported on 23 April that the regulator was collecting powdered-spice samples from across India, including MDH and Everest products. Those reports describe the Indian sampling response; they do not establish the results of a completed nationwide test programme.
Which products did Hong Kong name?
The CFS notice identified four products, with package sizes and date markings specific to the 2024 alert:
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| Product | Package | Date marking in the alert | Hong Kong importer or distributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDH Madras Curry Powder (Spice blend for Madras Curry) | 100 g | Best before end-August 2024 | Dhillon Group of Companies Limited |
| Everest Fish Curry Masala | 50 g | Best before September 2025 | MPS FOODS (HK) LTD |
| MDH Sambhar Masala Mixed Masala Powder | 100 g | Use by November 2024 | AGAM Trading Co. |
| MDH Curry Powder Mixed Masala Powder | 100 g | Use by November 2024 | AGAM Trading Co. |
These names and date markings identify the stock covered by the Hong Kong notice. They should not be read as a current recall list or as evidence that every product made by either brand was affected.
What did Hong Kong authorities do?
The CFS instructed vendors to stop selling the affected products and remove them from sale. The importers or distributors initiated recalls, and the CFS advised the public not to consume the affected products while its investigation was ongoing. The warning applied to the products and date-coded packs named in that notice.
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The CFS said the samples contained ethylene oxide. It cited the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s classification of ethylene oxide as a Group 1 carcinogen and referred to Hong Kong’s pesticide-residue rules. The notice did not state the concentrations measured, so it does not establish an exposure dose or quantify risk from consuming any particular amount. Its legal and scientific framing is specific to the CFS notice and Hong Kong’s regulatory context.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is established about FSSAI’s response?
Contemporaneous Indian reporting supports that FSSAI collected powdered-spice samples from multiple brands around India after the overseas concerns. A search-result excerpt of a Lok Sabha answer dated 6 August 2024 also refers to affected Indian spice products recalled in Hong Kong and Singapore and a one-month “Hold-and-Test” regime. The full PDF was not retrievable, so the excerpt does not support further detail about how the regime operated or what the tests found.
The available material does not independently establish final FSSAI results for a national sample set, a sample count, or a definitive nationwide pass-or-fail conclusion. It also does not provide a retrievable primary Singapore notice for a detailed comparison of Singapore’s findings, named products, or actions. The Hong Kong alert is therefore the source for the specific product and ethylene-oxide details above; reports of Singapore action should not be treated as a substitute for its own official notice.
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Sources
- Hong Kong SAR Government: CFS finds ethylene oxide in samples of prepackaged spice mix products, 5 April 2024.
- Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety notice, issued 5 April 2024; page last revised 7 May 2024.
- India Today report, 22 April 2024.
- The Times of India report, 23 April 2024.
- Government of India Lok Sabha answer, dated 6 August 2024; only a search-result excerpt was accessible for the information summarized here.
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