MDH, Everest spices row: Does Ethylene Oxide cause cancer? All you need to know

Following the recent ban on certain Indian spice brands like MDH and Everest Group by the Hong Kong and Singapore governments, FSSAI, the food safety regulatory authority in India, has been alarmed and is gearing up to take strict action, it was reported. These spices allegedly contain ethylene oxide, a harmful pesticide deemed unfit for human consumption. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency have both designated ethylene oxide as a known human carcinogen. Suparna Mukherjee, Charge of Clinical Nutrition, Narayana Health City, Bangalore, expressed her concern as she emphasized the toxicity of ethylene oxide and how the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified it as a top-level carcinogen, as per a report in Financial Express. Mukherjee emphasized that extended exposure to ethylene oxide from contaminated food products increases the risk of cancer, especially for susceptible groups.