Presence of pesticides found in spice products of sixteen other companies

31-Jul-2024 10:44 AM

New Delhi. After the products of two top Indian spice companies were banned in Singapore and Hong Kong and some other countries, quality testing of products of all major spice firms in the country began.

The presence of pesticide residues and other foreign elements in the products of many of these firms was found.

The quality of spice products of various companies was found to be poor and orders were given to stop their sale.

Samples of products of many other firms are being tested. Some of these spice products have been found unfit for human consumption. The testing of product samples is still going on in the laboratory.

In the latest development, the Food Safety and Drug Administration inspected 16 spice companies in Kanpur and collected 35 samples from them for laboratory testing. It is understood that 23 of these samples did not meet the quality parameters.

It is worth mentioning that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already cancelled the licenses of 111 spice firms across the country because the quality of their spice products was found to be poor.

Out of the 35 samples taken legally by the administration, the quality of 23 was found to be poor. The amount of pesticides was found to be more than the permissible level, while insects were also found in some samples.

These include samples of coriander powder, garam masala powder and matar paneer masala. It is understood that the licenses of these companies will also be cancelled.

A compound called lavendazim has also been found in some spice mixtures, which is used as a fungicide chemical. There is an atmosphere of panic in the spice industry.