The Hindu Business Line : EU rejects Indian curry powder

Kochi April 20 The European Commission has rejected a consignment of curry powder from India which was found to have harmful colouring agent, methyl yellow.

The product, which was reported to have been exported from Chennai, landed in Belgium and was under distribution when it was recalled from retail outlets and consumers, a statement issued by the Director General of Health and Consumers of the European Commission has said.

The European Commission has sent a rapid alert system for food and feed for the presence of unauthorised colour methyl yellow above the prescribed levels in a consignment of curry powder exported from India.

The permissible limit for the colouring agent is less than 0.5 mg/kg particle/million.

The product is reported to have landed in Belgium towards the end of last month to the beginning of the current month.

While value-added products contribute the most dominant component of the country’s spices exports, curry powder is a very rapidly a growing component in the spices basket.

Both South and North Indian companies export curry powder world-wide. .

In some countries such as Britain, Indian curry has a special appeal and has carved out a niche market both among the local population and people of Indian origin.

“Curry powder has seldom been found to be contaminated to invite rejections from importing countries. We have been advising the exporters and manufacturers to check and ascertain the quality of each and every ingredient which goes into the production of curry powders,” Mr S. Kannan, Marketing Director of Spices Board, said.

The contamination could have come from turmeric to which some processors add additives to give a lustrous yellow colour.

It could also come from the oil in which the curry powder is roasted or through some other ingredients such as dal.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, the colour methyl yellow above the permitted levels poses threat to human health.

The EU tries to assure consumers that these products are subjected to an alert notification and are withdrawn or are in the process of being withdrawn from the market.

The EU member states have their own mechanism to carry out such actions, including the provision of detailed information alerts, including through the media, if it was found necessary.

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