Context:
The Spices Board is work with the codex to establish limits for ethylene oxide (ETO) usage in spices.
More on news
- This collaboration follows the recent recall of Indian spice exports to Hong Kong and Singapore due to ETO (ethylene oxide) contamination concerns.
- CODEX has not prescribed limits for Ethylene oxide (ETO) so far.
- India recognizes the urgency of establishing these limits, especially considering the varying regulations across different countries.
- Exceeding these limits could lead to future export rejections with significant economic consequences.
- Though, India’s sample failure in spices is less than 1 percent of its exports in major markets.
The Codex Alimentarius
- It is an international food standards body established jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1963.
- Its objective is to protect consumers’ health and ensure fair practices in food trade.
- Currently, the Codex Alimentarius Commission has 189 Codex Members made up of 188 Countries and The European Union.
- India joined the body in 1964.
- Headquarters: Rome, Italy
Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH)
- The Kerala-based (CCSCH) has been established to develop international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the trade.
Ethylene Oxide (ETO)
- It is a chemical used as a sterilising agent in spices and is considered carcinogenic (tending to produce cancer) when used beyond certain limits.
- ETO is generally used as a disinfectant, as well as an insecticide to reduce microbial contamination in spices.
- The Spices Board, a government body responsible for promoting and regulating spice exports, already advises exporters against using ETO as a sterilant.
Spices Board of India
- It was constituted on 26th February 1987 under the Spices Board Act 1986 with the merger of the erstwhile Cardamom Board (1968) and Spices Export Promotion Council (1960).
- It develops, promotes and regulates the export of 52 spices and spice products that fall under its purview.
- The Spices Board is one of the five Commodity Boards functioning under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.