Due to claims that two Indian spice manufacturers' goods contain a chemical that causes cancer, the US Food and Drug Administration is currently investigating these products.

Due to suspected elevated ethylene oxide levels, Hong Kong halted the sale of three MDH and one Everest spice blends earlier this month.

Products from MDH and Everest are among the best-known both in India and globally.

MDH has not responded, but Everest has previously declared that its goods are safe to eat.

"The FDA is aware of the reports and is gathering additional information about the situation," an FDA spokesperson told Reuters news agency.

Singapore has also recalled the Everest mix for fish curries, saying the alleged high levels of ethylene oxide posed a cancer risk.

India's Spices Board - the government's regulator for spice exports - said earlier this week that it was seeking information on both companies' exports in Hong Kong and Singapore, and was working with them, to find the "root cause" of the quality issues as inspections started at their plants.

Both companies' websites were offline on Saturday.

Ethylene oxide is used for several purposes in industry, including as a fumigating agent for spices. The US's Environmental Protection Agency says the chemical is carcinogenic to humans.

"Evidence in humans indicates that exposure to ethylene oxide increases the risk of lymphoid cancer and, for females, breast cancer," the EPA wrote in 2018.

The BBC has contacted MDH and Everest for comment.

Back in 2019, a few batches of MDH products were recalled in the US due to fears of salmonella contamination.