Nepal bans sale of Everest, MDH Masala amidst safety concerns

Nepal banned the consumption and sale of spices produced by Everest and MDH amidst concerns over the presence of traces of harmful chemicals in the products.

According to reports, Nepal's Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has started testing the spices from the two Indian brands for ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing pesticide.

Speaking to reporters, Mohan Krishna Maharjan, spokesperson of Nepal's food technology department said, "Everest and MDH brand spices have been banned from import... we also have banned the sale of them on the market. This comes after the news about traces of harmful chemicals in the spices.”

"Tests are underway for the chemicals in the spices of these two particular brands. The ban will remain in place until the final report comes up," he added.

MDH and Everest which have been household names in India for decades have also come under scrutiny in New Zealand, the United States and Australia.

The Hong Kong food safety body banned four spice products of the two brands in April, while a few days later, Singapore's Food Agency (SFA) recalled Everest's Fish Curry Masala due to exceeding permissible levels of ethylene oxide.

The government's Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already ordered quality checks on products of MDH and Everest and has also sought details from the food safety regulators of Hong Kong and Singapore.