MDH facing shipment rejections since 2021, way before getting banned in Hong Kong, Singapore

For MDH, the Indian spice brand that has come under the lens for alleged contamination, rejection in the US has not been a new occurrence. According to a Reuters report, MDH has been facing shipment rejections since 2021 due to the presence of bacteria in its spices.

MDH and Everest were banned in Singapore and Hong Kong last month after traces of cancer-causing pesticides were found in some of its products.

Almost 14.5 per cent of MDH shipments to the US have been rejected as it allegedly contained salmonella, a bacteria that can lead to gastrointestinal illness.

Around 20 per cent, or 13 of MDH’s 65 shipments to the United States were rejected after it failed checks for salmonella between October 2023 - when the current fiscal year started - and May 3, according to the latest available data compiled by Reuters from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The US FDA data, however, does not mention the quantity that was rejected in each shipment but the 13 shipments that were rejected contained mixed spices and seasonings, as well as fenugreek.

Meanwhile, between 2022-23, around 15 per cent of 119 MDH shipments were rejected mostly because of the presence of salmonella while the rejections stood at 8.19 per cent during 2021-22, the data showed.

On the other hand, the other Indian spice brand in question, Everest, has faced fewer rejections as compared to MDH in the US with just one of 450 shipments in the ongoing 2023-24 year having been rejected so far for salmonella.

MDH, Everest say their products are ‘safe’

MDH, in response to the revelations of the FDA data, said that its products are safe for use.

Everest, meanwhile, said it had an ’exceptional’ rejection rate of its US shipments of less than 1 per cent in fiscal 2023-2024, adding that their products are safe for consumption.

“Exports are cleared only after receiving necessary clearances and approval from the laboratories of the Spice Board of India. Singapore held only one of 60 Everest products for examination,” the company’s director Rajiv Shah said.

Indian Food Authority comes into action

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is reportedly mulling a way of getting each batch of the spices checked by the company itself.

“It is still under discussion but we are planning to mandate testing for each batch of spices — only for the big manufacturers. There are several vendors who process spices in small quantities and sell it locally, this move would not be applicable to them,” a senior government official said.

Meanwhile, asking smaller manufacturers to test each batch would be a burden for them, the official said adding that they are unlikely to use ethylene oxide in their products.

“Fumigation of spices is costly and it is done by the big manufacturers to protect large stocks. Neither do smaller manufacturers need it, nor do they use it,” the official said.

With inputs from Reuters