Ethylene Oxide Residue
Get all the quality and safety related information of your food products with accurate ETO testing from Eurofins
What is Ethylene Oxide?
Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic, mutagenic, irritating, and anaesthetic gas, which is used to control insects as a fumigant. Ethylene oxide is industrially produced by oxidation of ethylene in the presence of silver catalyst. Ethylene oxide is commonly used to prevent microbial contaminants such as Salmonella and E. coli, reduce bacterial loads, yeast and mold, coliforms and other pathogens. Ethylene oxide is also used as a pesticide to control pests. It is employed instead of high temperature processes that may damage certain products such as herbs, spices and seeds.
Why ETO Has To Be Tested?
Due to the mutagenic properties, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified ETO as a human carcinogen. Ethylene oxide may also form ethylene glycol (EG) and ethylene chlorohydrin (ECH) during chemical reactions, which are also toxic.
Exposure to ETO can cause:
- Irritation to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract
- Nausea and vomiting
- Central nervous system depression
- Chronic exposure is associated with an increased risk of cancer.
If food sterilised with Ethylene Oxide is not aerated properly, ETO residue can remain. This can lead to the formation of 2-Chloroethanol, another toxic compound that is capable to cause damage to the heart, liver and kidneys as well as respiratory failure. Exposure to 2-Chloroethanol can sometimes led to death.
Significance in Food:
The recent recall of Sesame seeds exported from India due to the RASFF alert has put the spotlight on the issue of ETO residues in food. From September 2020 to February 2021, there were more than 500 recalls of food products in the EU because of ETO residue contamination.
The EU has released the regulation (EU) 2020/1540 and the same is published in the official Journal of the EU. It strengthens the control of sesame seeds at the borders. In addition to the analysis for salmonella, testing of Ethylene oxide and other pesticides need to be carried out
The maximum residue level of 0,05 mg/kg is applicable for ethylene oxide in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 396/2005
Link to the EC regulation: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32020R1540&from=FR
EU has proposed separate Maximum residual limits (MRLs) for ethylene oxide and its primary metabolite 2-chloroethanol in different food and agriculture commodity ranging from 0.02 to 0.1 mg/kg (Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/868).
How Eurofins Can Help You Offer a Safe Product
We offer testing of food matrices for ETO contamination using GC-MS technique in our laboratory.
The test capability for ETO in important food matrices is tabulated below
| Food Matrix | Limits of Detection for Ethylene Oxide |
| Cereal, Pulses & Cereal products & Bakery products, Macroni, Malted or Malt based products | 0.01 mg/kg to 1mg/kg |
| Fruits & Fruit Products , Vegetables & Vegetable products, Jams, Juices, Sauces & Concentrates, Nuts including Sesame & other related products | 0.01 mg/kg to 1mg/kg |
| Oil seeds & products including edible oil & fats | 0.01 mg/kg to 1mg/kg |
| Spices, Herbs and Condiments including Cumin | 0.01 mg/kg to 1mg/kg |
| Tea, Coffee, Cocoa and its products | 0.01 mg/kg to 1mg/kg |
Being a global leader in analytical testing services, we perform testing and analysis for diverse range of food products from all food groups, processed foods, raw materials, novel products. Our extensive testing services ensure safety of your food products and contributes to reduced risk conditions and increased consumer support.
Eurofins secure quality of your products and establish safety of your products from Ethylene Oxide residue contamination
