Everest Food Products is a spice maker founded in 1967 that sells "Everest"-brand blended spices across India and overseas. It's one of the largest branded spice makers domestically, but in 2024 its own products were subject to a recall overseas.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Everest Food Products Private Limited |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Headquarters | Mumbai (Maharashtra) |
| Business | Manufacture, sale, and export of ground spices and blended spices (masalas) |
| Products | 42 blends under the Everest brand |
| Revenue | Because it is unlisted, full-year disclosure is limited. Some sources put the figure at ₹2,601 crore as of 2022, but the entity and the period covered differ from source to source |
| Competitors | MDH, ITC Aashirvaad, DS Group's Catch, Badshah, and others |
| Listing | Unlisted |
Beyond single-ingredient powders like turmeric or chili, it carries 42 dish-specific "masala" blends. Pav Bhaji Masala, Chaat Masala, Garam Masala, and so on: one packet corresponds to one dish.
Indian households traditionally buy whole spices and grind and blend them themselves. Blended products save that effort and have spread along with the rise of dual-income urban households. That said, unbranded loose spices sold by weight remain a large share, and branded products still account for a limited portion of the overall market.
In 2024, Everest's Fish Curry Masala was recalled in Singapore and Hong Kong after ethylene oxide was detected. Some MDH products were also subject to the recall, and export controls on Indian spices came under scrutiny in multiple countries.
Ethylene oxide is a chemical used to sterilize spices, and its use in food is not permitted in many countries, including the EU and Japan. It's sometimes permitted under Indian domestic standards, and that gap with destination-country standards is exactly what causes problems.
This incident left concrete items to check for anyone sourcing spices from India: the sterilization method (steam, irradiation, or chemical), the inspection system for each export destination, and whether a certificate of analysis is available per lot.
When sourcing for Japan, the partner should be chosen based on whether it has an inspection system for the destination market, not on brand recognition. Japan's positive list system sets detailed standards for residues, and if a shipment is stopped at import inspection, the entire lot is returned or discarded.
What needs checking comes down to three points: a track record of shipping to Japan, steam sterilization equipment, and the ability to provide a third-party certificate of analysis per lot. Without these in place, the terms don't line up before price even comes into the conversation.
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