iGrain India - Kochi. The threat and crisis for Indian spices is once again increasing in the international export market. First Hong Kong and Singapore banned its import and use and then a similar decision was taken in Nepal.
Now the European Union has also made the rules very strict. Not only this, but regulators of countries like Bangladesh, Maldives and Australia have also indicated strict decisions.
The import and use of masala mixes of two leading brands of India is being banned on the basis of the alleged presence of high content of ethylene oxide (ETO) in it, which is a matter of great concern for India.
The Food Standards Agency of Australia and New Zealand says that it is working with international counterparts (agencies of other countries) to understand the matter in depth and try to determine whether any further action is needed in this.
India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices in the world. Experts say that many questions about the ban are still unanswered, which should be answered by those countries.
These restrictions are being considered as part of a conspiracy and a deep message has been generated from this.
During the entire period of the financial year 2022-23 (April-March), the export of spices from India increased to $ 4 billion, so it is being considered a major source of foreign exchange earnings and the government needs to pay special attention to it.
First of all, it is necessary to understand the scientific and practical use of ETO. Ethylene oxide (C2H4O) is a flammable and colorless gas at room temperature which is used as an insecticide and sterilizing agent. In the medical field, it is used as a highly used chemical.
It is considered one of the most sterilized medical equipment in the world. In America, about 5 crore medical equipment are sterilized daily and about 20 billion medical equipment are sterilized annually through ETO. The Indian government and the Spices Board will have to show their proactiveness.