Hong Kong's center for food safety (CFS)  has banned four spice products from popular Indian brands MDH and Everest after they were found to contain a cancer-causing chemical.

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) announced on April 5 that it had detected ethylene oxide, a pesticide classified as a carcinogen, in three MDH products — Madras curry powder, mixed masala powder, sambhar masala — and Everest fish curry masala.

The Committee on World Food Security said it collected samples of the four products as part of its routine food monitoring programme, and found the presence of ethylene oxide, which is unfit for human consumption. Hong Kong regulations prohibit the sale of foods containing pesticide residues that exceed safe limits.

According to Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Chapter 132 CM), any food for human consumption containing pesticide residues may only be sold for sale if the consumption of the food is not dangerous or harmful to health.

CFS ordered sellers to remove the affected products from shelves and launched an investigation. The regulatory body also indicated that “appropriate action” could be taken.

Similar to Hong Kong, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) also recalled Mount Everest Masala fish curry due to exceeding permissible levels of ethylene oxide.

While the SFA explained that there is no immediate risk from low ethylene oxide levels, prolonged consumption can pose health risks due to the chemical's carcinogenic properties

Essential information on ethylene oxide: what you should be aware of.

Ethylene oxide, a colorless and flammable gas, serves multiple purposes including preservation, fumigation, sterilization, and insect control. Primarily utilized for sterilizing medical equipment and minimizing microbial presence in spices.

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