The Bhutan Food and Drug Authority advises the public to refrain from consuming the Everest Mix for fish curry masala. This is after some countries in the region such as Hong Kong, China and Singapore issued notifications to recall the spice from their markets for containing high levels of ethylene oxide. The chemical is a cancer-causing pesticide harmful to the body if consumed in the long term.
Everest Mix for Fish Curry masala is one of the spices found to have a high level of ethylene oxide. The authority has sent samples of 10 spices imported from India for test in India.
The Bhutan Food and Drug Authority contacted the International Food Safety Authorities Network to verify the news covered by international media on the recall of certain Indian-made spices.
The network has reportedly informed the authority that it received such recall notifications only from Singapore after the Centre for Food Safety in Hong Kong issued such a notification.
The International Food Safety Authorities Network is a global network of 186 national food safety authorities, managed jointly by the Food Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation.
According to NDTV and Reuters, other than Everest Mix for Fish Curry, Hong Kong has also suspended the sales of spice blends of MDH and Everest Food Products that were found to contain cancer-causing pesticides.
The two brands are popular Indian manufactured spices which according to the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority are also imported to Bhutan.
Officials of the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority say the authority is currently inspecting and monitoring the spices in the market.
“It is important for us to note that for now not all spices exported by India are implicated in this recall. As per the Singapore Food Agency, the product in question is Everest Fish Curry Masala of 50 grams with best before date of September 2025. And during the market surveillance conducted by FDA officials in the field, the above specified best-before date is not found in Bhutan as of now,” said Jambay Dorji, deputy chief regulatory and quarantine Officer at Bhutan Food and Drug Authority.
They added they have collected samples of about 10 Everest Masala products in Bhutan and sent them to India for testing yesterday, as the National Food Testing Laboratory is not equipped to check the presence of ethylene oxide.
“The Bhutan FDA has collected the samples of the spices from the Everest brand, whichever is available in the market. We have subcontracted or referred it to the referral laboratory outside Bhutan. And I think if the facility is available in the country, we would have issued the report within three to four days. But since it has been sent to the Indian laboratory where they received many samples, so probably we would be receiving the reports within one to two weeks,” added the deputy chief laboratory officer.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that India, which bans the use of ethylene oxides in products, is sampling and analyzing the powdered spices, particularly curry spices and mixed spice blends made for local and foreign sales.
According to the National Cancer Institute of the United States, exposure to ethylene oxide causes lymphoma and leukaemia. It may also cause stomach and breast cancer.
The Bhutan Food and Drug Authority says ethylene oxide, in fewer amounts, poses no immediate health risk but long-term exposure can cause health risks.
NDTV also reported that short-term effects of ethylene oxide include central nervous system depression and irritation of the eyes and mucous membranes, while long-term exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs, and damage the brain and nervous system.
Singye Dema
Edited by Phub Gyem
