Risk of Ethylene Oxide

The European Food safety authority EFSA assess health risks posed by chemicals in food. Food safety and hygiene processes and following of HACCP rules are critical factors for avoiding the pesticide risk and potential recalls. Through iComplai platform users will be notified on emerging chemical contamination risks like ethylene oxide.

What is Ethylene Oxide?

Ethylene oxide is a processing aid used to disinfect herbs and spices. Ethylene oxide (EtO or EO for short) is a colorless, highly flammable, very reactive gas with a sweet odour that kills bacteria, viruses and fungi. It is converted in the environment and in crops to 2-chloroethanol, among other things. The conversion of ethylene oxide to 2-chloroethanol takes place relatively quickly.

What are the current regulations on Ethylene oxide?

In order to ensure that the public health is protected, the use of ethylene oxide for sterilizing purposes in food is not allowed in the European Union (EU). However, there can still be traces from the ingredients or raw materials hence the EU set a maximum residue levels at a very low level based on the type of commodity.

What are the risks of Ethylene oxide?

Ethylene oxide has mutagenic and carcinogenic properties and can therefore be genotoxic or carcinogenic. As a so-called "carcinogen without threshold value", it has not been possible to determine an intake level without health risk. Residues of the substance in food are therefore generally deemed undesirable.

The risk of ethylene oxide has kept the whole food industry busy over the last few months. See the information to know on which products it has been detected and where it may be identified as next…