Banned or restricted substance
Is ethylene oxide banned in food in India?
Last checked 1 October 2026
Ethylene oxide is not a permitted sterilising treatment or additive for food in India; after Hong Kong and Singapore recalled MDH and Everest products in April 2024, the Spices Board made testing compulsory for exports to those two markets and FSSAI found none in domestic samples.
- Classification
- Restricted (Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006)
- Decided by
- FSSAI; Spices Board of India
- Reference
- No permission for ethylene oxide under the Food Additives or Contaminants Regulations; Spices Board Circular No. 01/2024-25 of 2 May 2024 (exports to Singapore and Hong Kong)
- Evidence
- Government document
- Latest action
- 21 May 2024
- Last checked
- 1 October 2026
Photo: Indian spices for sale at the Anjuna flea-market, Anjuna Beach, Goa.jpg by unknown (CC BY 2.0). All photo credits.
Circular No. 01/2024-25: Inclusion of ETO test for spices consignments exported to Hong Kong and Singapore under Mandatory Sampling and Testing Programme
Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.
Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe organise and explain what the document says. The document above is the authority.
Key facts
- What it is
- A gas used to sterilise spices and medical devices; classed as carcinogenic to humans by IARC (Group 1)
- Status in India
- Not permitted; no residue limit set, so any detection is non-compliant
- Trigger
- Hong Kong and Singapore recalls of MDH and Everest products, April 2024
- Domestic finding
- FSSAI: no ETO in 28 accredited-lab reports on MDH and Everest samples (21 May 2024)
- Export step
- Spices Board circular of 2 May 2024: ETO test compulsory for consignments to Singapore and Hong Kong from 6 May 2024
Ethylene oxide is a gas that kills bacteria and moulds, which is why some spice processors use it to bring microbial counts down to the levels importing countries demand. It is also classed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as carcinogenic to humans, and it leaves residues, including 2-chloroethanol, in the treated product. The European Union and several Asian regulators set strict limits and test for it.
India does not permit ethylene oxide as a food treatment or additive. The Food Additives Regulations do not list it and the Contaminants Regulations set no tolerance, so its detection in a domestic product is a non-conformity.
The substance entered Indian headlines in April 2024 when Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety and the Singapore Food Agency withdrew three MDH products and Everest Fish Curry Masala after detecting it. FSSAI sampled both brands in India and on 21 May 2024 reported that 28 accredited-laboratory tests found no ethylene oxide. By a circular of 2 May 2024 the Spices Board made ETO testing compulsory for consignments to the two markets from 6 May 2024. The episode is recorded on the MDH and Everest pages; the brands were cleared in India.
What this means for you
Indian spices should be ETO-free
Domestic use is not permitted and FSSAI's 2024 sampling found none. Export lots are now tested before shipment.
Why foreign regulators found it
Some exporters used ETO to meet microbial standards abroad. The gas leaves residues that Singapore and Hong Kong test for.
This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.
Sources
Government documents
- Circular No. 01/2024-25: Inclusion of ETO test for spices consignments exported to Hong Kong and Singapore under Mandatory Sampling and Testing ProgrammeRegulatorSpices Board of India (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) · 2 May 2024
News reports
- No traces of ethylene oxide found in MDH, Everest spice samples: FSSAINewsBusiness Standard · 21 May 2024