FSSAI Revokes Manufacturing Licences Of 111 Spice Producers: Report

Over the last month, 111 producers of spices had their manufacturing licences revoked by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which directed them to immediately cease production, according to an industry report.

After discovering that recent spice samples from India had ethylene oxide levels above what was allowed in some international markets, the FSSAI took action. As it continues to analyse 4,000 samples around the country, the regulatory body may cancel the licences of an additional 111 spice makers. Among the well-known brands represented in these samples are Everest, MDH, Catch, and Badshah.

The bulk of the revoked licences, according to the reports, are held by minor spice producers from Tamil Nadu and Kerala; Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh are also being investigated. The majority of these 111 businesses are small-scale and are not reachable because they do not have official websites, phone numbers, or email addresses.

Reputable Indian spice producers like MDH and Everest faced criticism earlier this year over quality issues in foreign markets like the US, Hong Kong, and Singapore.