What’s in Today’s Article?

• Background (Context of the Article)
• FSSAI’s Decision (Raising Limits of Pesticide in Spices, Reasons, Concerns, etc.)

Background:

• More than five countries — including Singapore, Hong Kong and the U.S. — had recently announced an investigation into possible contamination of spice mixes sold by top Indian brands, MDH and Everest.
• The complaints cite the presence of ethylene oxide, a toxic chemical used as a food stabilizer, beyond permissible limits.
• The Spices Board of India in response has initiated mandatory testing of products shipped abroad and is reportedly working with exporters to identify the root cause of contamination.
• The international scrutiny has also stirred a demand for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to ensure stringent quality checks on spices and curry powders sold in domestic markets.

What Are the Health Concerns?

• Use of ETO
  • MDH and Everest’s spice mixes allegedly contain high levels of a prohibited pesticide called ethylene oxide (ETO).
  • ETO is a colorless, flammable, and in many ways, a remarkable gas that was originally intended for sterilizing medical devices.
  • It is used as a chemical in industrial settings, agriculture, and as a sterilizing agent in food products, including spices, dried vegetables and other commodities.
  • The chemical lends life to the spice industry: it reduces microbial contamination, and in turn, extends products’ shelf life and makes their storage safe.
• Harmful effects of ETO
  • The improper and excessive use of ETO may leave behind residues, causing toxic and even carcinogenic compounds to form, thus contaminating the product.
  • One such compound is ethylene glycol, an ingredient found in Indian-made cough syrups which were linked to the deaths of more than 300 children in Cameroon, Gambia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan.
  • Long-term exposure to ethylene oxide is associated with cancers including lymphoma and leukemia, some evidence shows.
  • The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has banned the use of ETO and earlier flagged ETO contamination in Indian spices.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s Response:

• The FSSAI has increased the default limit for pesticide residues in spices to 0.1 mg/kg, a ten-fold increase over the previous 0.01 mg/kg.
  • This will be applicable only in cases where the Indian regulation does not specifically mention the maximum residue limits (MRL) for a pesticide for the crop.
• However, the default MRL for other food products remains the same at 0.01 mg/kg.
• Likely Impact of This Decision on Health:
  • As per one of the scientists on the panel that recommended the measure to FSSAI, even with increased limits, the pesticide residues remain in trace amounts that are unlikely to harm human health.

Reasons for Increasing Limits for Spices:

• One, it is difficult to keep the limits below the 0.01 mg/kg limit because of the confounding effect of the large number of phenols present in spices.
• Two, imports from other countries may contain pesticides that are approved for use in those countries but not in India.
  • The default MRL is used in cases where the limit for a pesticide for a particular crop is not present in India.
• Three, there could be seepage of a pesticide not approved in spices from other crops where it might be allowed.

What were the Concerns that were Raised?

• The activists have said that the higher limit may allow for more pesticides affecting our bodies.
• Experts from the FSSAI have said that the limits were raised only for the tests to detect the compounds effectively.
• Action will still be taken if pesticides higher than the limit are used.
• The government maintains that the limits set by India continue to be the lowest in the world.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
• It is a statutory body established under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006.
• Objectives:
• To lay down science-based standards for food articles,
• To regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale & import,
• To ensure availability of safe & wholesome food for human consumption.
• The chairperson of the FSSAI is appointed by the Central Government.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• In 2018, FSSAI had launched a mass media campaign called “Heart Attack Rewind” to spread awareness and to eliminate trans fats in India by the year 2022.