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MDH faced rejections in an average of 14.5% of its US shipments due to the presence of salmonella bacteria since 2021, a Reuters analysis of US regulatory data found.
"MDH faced rejections": The Controversy Surrounding MDH's Spice Products
Hong Kong suspended the sales of spices made by MDH and by another Indian company, Everest, for apparently containing high levels of carcinogenic pesticides. Ethylene oxide is said to be cancer-causing in the long run and thus unfit for human consumption.
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The companies however have denied such allegations and MDH added that it does not use Ethylene oxide in any stage of its production.
Authorities in the USA, India and Australia are looking into this case because these brands are famous in India as well as exported to many countries around the world.
India is the world's largest producer, exporter as well as consumer of spices. According to some estimates, India's domestic spice market was roughly $10.44 billion in 2022 and exported products worth $4 billion during 2022-23.
According to reports, MDH faced rejections for sale in the United States due to the presence of salmonella, a bacteria that can lead to gastrointestinal illness.
Around 20% of MDH's shipments to the United States were rejected after it failed checks for salmonella between October and May, according to the latest available data gathered by Reuters from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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In fiscal 2022-23, about 15% of MDH shipments were rejected mostly for salmonella, while in 2021-22 the rejection rate was 8.19%.
Everest has encountered minimal MDH faced rejections with only 1 out of 450 shipments in the current 2023-24 year being rejected due to salmonella.
Despite requests for comment, both the US FDA and the Spices Board remained unresponsive. The Board has been diligently inspecting MDH and Everest facilities to ensure compliance with stringent quality standards. However, the outcomes of these inspections have not been disclosed to the public.
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