Everest Spices: FSSAI record

Update, October 2026: on 4 Oct 2026 FSSAI directed Everest to recall a batch of its pre-packed cumin powder after a referral laboratory confirmed residues of the pesticides azoxystrobin and thiamethoxam above the maximum limits. The recall covers that batch only; details are on the Everest cumin powder recall page.

Everest's Fish Curry Masala was withdrawn in Singapore in April 2024 after the Singapore Food Agency detected ethylene oxide, following an alert from Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety. The gas is used to sterilise spices in some markets but is not permitted in food in India and is treated as a carcinogen by several regulators. MDH products were recalled in the same episode.

FSSAI collected MDH and Everest samples from the Indian market and had them tested at accredited laboratories. On 21 May 2024 the regulator said 28 reports had found no ethylene oxide. The Spices Board separately introduced mandatory pre-shipment ETO testing for exports to the two markets.

Everest was therefore cleared in India. It was neither recalled nor banned domestically, and no licence action followed. The brand's search profile still carries the foreign headlines, which is why 'is Everest masala banned' remains a common query. The answer is no, with the qualification that the Singapore and Hong Kong recalls of specific export lots were real.