“For Indians, spices are like paints in a paint box“, says Indian actor-turned-food writer Madhur Jaffrey. “We get different shades from the same spice by doing something to the spice.”
In other words, you can roast the spices or grind them into powders. The diversity of their flavours is mind-boggling. Indian spices enhance pickles and season meat. They flavour savouries and street food. Zesty spices energise local fruit drinks and add a tangy twist to fruits and salads.
Unsurprisingly, India has emerged as a global spice powerhouse. It exports more than 200 spices and value-added products to some 180 countries, worth $4bn (£3.1bn), according to the Spices Board of India. The domestic market alone is worth a staggering $10bn, making it the world’s largest consumer of spices.
But now, concerns are emerging regarding the safety of these renowned spices. Last month, Singapore and Hong Kong halted sales of some spices produced by Indian companies MDH and Everest over suspected elevated levels of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing pesticide.
That’s not all. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also investigating products from the two popular brands for potentially containing the pesticide, an FDA spokesperson told Reuters. An analysis done by the news agency of the US regulatory data found that since 2021, an average of 14.5% of US shipments of MDH spices were rejected due to presence of bacteria. Both brands insist that their products are safe
India: Global spice powerhouse
- India exports nearly $4bn worth of spices, accounting for 12% of global spice exports
- Major spices exported include chilli powder, cumin, turmeric, cardamom and mixed spice
- Other notable exports include asafoetida, saffron, anise, nutmeg, clove and cinnamon
- China, the US and Bangladesh are the biggest markets for Indian spices
- Other significant markets include the UAE, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the UK, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong
