The Hindu Business Line : `UK reports not giving fair picture on Indian chilli'

THE recent reports in a section of the media on Indian chillies in the UK do not present a true and fair picture of what prevails in the field of chilli export from the country, according to the All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF).

Describing the reports as "misleading", the AISEF in a press release here on Friday said adulteration of chilli powders with carcinogenic dyes Sudan 1 - IV had been detected in a few shipments of a couple of errant Indian exporters in 2003.

The Indian spice trade extended all cooperation to the Spices Board, which immediately took speedy, stringent, and effective action in the matter. The guilty exporters were identified and their export licenses were immediately cancelled.

Since October 2003, the Board has introduced a compulsory pre-inspection of all shipments of chillies, chilli powders and their products, to test for the presence of Sudan dyes and aflatoxin. Stringent measures are in place to ensure that only lots certified free of Sudan dye are exported. Several shipments where the presence of these adulterants was detected were held back, and some were even recalled.

As proof of this, exports of chillies and their products have touched an all-time high of 1.14 lakh tonnes valued at Rs 421crore for the period April 2004 - January 2005, and this accounts for almost 40 per cent of the total spices exported from India in quantitative terms.

Recent reports of product recalls in the UK because of contamination with Sudan dyes have again raked up the issue. The material in all of these products was traced to one or two particular consignments, which were apparently imported into the UK before the alert that was put in place in 2003, AISEF clarified. "This is definitely old and probably obsolete stock, which should never have found its way into the food chain." Significantly, these consignments originated from the same exporters who had been identified in 2003, and whose licences the Spices Board had since cancelled.

It said the Forum was "confident that the measures put in place by the Board since October 2003 make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a consignment of chilli products contaminated with Sudan dyes to leave the Indian shores".

Our Mumbai Bureau reports: The Director of Indian Spice and Foodstuff Exporters' Association, Mr Yogesh Mehta, said: "Articles on Indian chilli exports appear to be a systematic anti-Indian campaign directed at deliberately tarnishing the image of Indian spices industry."

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Falling grain stocks ease subsidy bill by 12 pc

Isolated rain forecast for Kerala

Call to set up council for veterinary research

Bamboo mission to provide new impetus for growth

Rubber prices increase as fears over VAT effect recede

Indian teas post highest rise in 2004

`Bachawat Award flouted'

Madurai Aavin sets sales record

Vanaspati makers seek duty relief

Nafed `fully geared' to procure mustard

`UK reports not giving fair picture on Indian chilli'

AP Chilli farmers block traffic, serve notice