MUMBAI : India's government spice board has launched factory inspections of two top companies in the wake of foreign bans following accusations some products were tainted with pesticides, media reports said Tuesday.
Both companies deny their spices pose a health risk, and MDH last month said the claims were"untrue and lack any substantiating evidence". Besides its use as a pesticide, ethylene oxide is used as a sterilising agent in spices to prevent illnesses caused by salmonella and E.coli bacteria. But the reported checks come after the board earlier this month ordered exporters to"test raw materials, processing aids, packaging materials and finished goods" for ethylene oxide contamination.