New Delhi, April 27 -- Time and again, food safety authorities from different countries have labelled certain Indian spice mixes as contaminated and unsafe for human consumption. The latest instance involves Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety and packaged spice mixes of two producers-MDH and Everest.

In the course of routine testing of samples under its food surveillance programme, the regulator found the presence of ethylene oxide in three spice mixes of MDH and one of Everest exceeded the permissible limit. On 5 April, the CFS announced that it had ordered a recall of those products and a ban on further sale, and advised against consumption of those products. Meanwhile, it continues to investigate the products for violation of quality ...