MDH and Everest are the most popular brand choices for Indian spice mix. The traditional Indian cuisine is incomplete without the perfect blend of herbs and spices. In modern times, with the hustle and bustle of life, people have found to use store-bought masalas to be time-saving and convenient to use.
However, the widespread cases of adulteration in spices always make up for the news. Recently, India’s most trusted brands for spices, MDH and Everest, were banned in Singapore and Hong Kong due to the use of carcinogenic ingredients. Post this, Nepal has also banned the sale of MDH and Everest and has started the testing.
Why Did Nepal Ban MDH And Everest Masala?
The news about speculations that MDH and Everest masala would have carcinogenic contents broke in early April. The reports suggest that food regulatory bodies of Hong Kong and Singapur found the presence of ethylene oxide, a pesticide, in the blends of MDH Madras Curry Powder, Sambhar Masala, and Curry Powder, and Everest’s Fish Curry Masala. Following the threat of these masalas and keeping the health of the population in mind, Nepal has stopped the importation of these masalas.
As per the latest reports, the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control of Nepal has banned the import, sale, and consumption of MDH and Everest masalas throughout the country. The department spokesperson has also been reported to have started running tests to confirm the presence of the cancer-causing pesticide in the masalas. Till the reports come in, the masalas from the popular brands will remain banned.
Due to the high popularity of the brands, the MDH and Everest masalas are being imported to many other parts of the world, such as Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, the United States, etc, and are reported to be under the tests to protect the health of people across the globe. FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), has also been reported to be digging further into the matter and conducting tests.