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The last update on spice mixes was that food authorities on foreign soils were testing the samples and had found chemicals in them. Since the quantity of these chemicals was more than the authorised threshold, countries like Hong Kong, Nepal, and Singapore have banned the sale of these mixtures exported by popular brands.
Video Credit: Chef Ranveer Brar/ YouTube
However, things have been sailing smoothly in India until now, but the Rajasthan food department has found poisonous chemicals in the spice mixes and popular brands are again under the radar. Here is everything you need to know about the chemical composition of spice mixes that you add to your food to make it more flavourful.
Pesticides and Insecticides Found In Branded Spice Mixes
A few months ago, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Nepal alleged that spice mixes by brands like Everest Food Products Pvt and MDH contain carcinogenic pesticide ethylene oxide. Including these brands and others, the Rajasthan health department also conducted research on the samples of spice mixes.
The tests were concluded as a part of the state campaigning against food adulteration. The research on samples from Sheeba Taza’s raita masala, Shyam’s garam masala, Everest’s cumin powder and Gajanand’s pickle masala. These were found to include thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, ethion, and azoxystrobin in different combinations. Some spice mixes had more than one chemical compound present in them.
These are no ordinary chemicals that are added to Indian masala mixes as preservatives. These chemical compounds are lethal and used in farming to kill insecticides and pesticides. Moreover, some of these compounds were present in more than permissible quantities. The research has concluded that these masala mixes are hazardous for humans.
FSSAI Intervention Requested
As soon as the Rajasthan’s health department found the samples to be adulterated, they sent a letter to the food safety commissioners in Gujarat and Haryana. They have been requested to take necessary actions against the manufacturing setups of the mentioned brands in the two states.
The health department of Rajasthan has also sent a letter to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in New Delhi. The department is requesting the intervention from the statutory body to take necessary actions. Consumers will have to wait to see what the government body says about the poisonous adulteration of masala mixes from the most popular brands.
