FSSAI revokes licenses of 111 spice producers

Most of the revoked licenses belonged to small-scale spice producers from Tamil Nadu and Kerala

In the last month, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) revoked the manufacturing licenses of 111 spice producers. This action was taken after the FSSAI found that recent spice samples from India contained higher than permissible levels of ethylene oxide in some international markets. The FSSAI is currently analysing 4,000 more spice samples from around the country and may cancel the licenses of an additional 111 spice producers. Some well-known brands affected by this include Everest, MDH, Catch, and Badshah.

Most of the revoked licenses belonged to small-scale spice producers from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh are also under investigation. Many of these small-scale businesses do not have official websites, phone numbers, or email addresses, making them difficult to reach.

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