Spices safe, no notice from Hong Kong, Singapore: MDH

Mumbai: Amid row over the alleged presence of carcinogenic ethylene oxide, a form of pesticide, in its select spice packs, MDH (Mahashian Di Hatti) has called such claims untrue and lacking any substantiating evidence. The company said that it has not received any communication on the topic from regulatory authorities of Singapore or Hong Kong.

The over-100-year-old brand said that it does not use ethylene oxide at any stage of storing, processing or packaging its spices. "MDH's statement is further supported by the fact that nodal regulatory authorities such as the Spice Board of India and FSSAI have not received any communication or test reports from Hong Kong or Singapore authorities regarding this matter. This reinforces the fact that the allegations against MDH are baseless, unsubstantiated and not backed by any concrete evidence," the firm said.

Two of India's biggest spice brands - MDH and Everest - have come under the scanner over alleged unsafe food practices. "MDH Group reassures their consumers that MDH abides by health and safety standards, both domestically and internationally. MDH's tagline 'asli masale sach sach' reflects the company's genuine commitment to provide authentic, high-quality spices to their customers," the company said.

Everest and MDH lead India's branded spices market, the size of which has been pegged by analysts at well over Rs 20,000 crore.