The European Union’s food safety authorities have detected the presence of the cancer-causing chemical ethylene oxide in 527 food products originating from India.
The issue came to light when renowned Indian spice brands, including MDH and Everest, were found to contain traces of ethylene oxide above the permissible levels. This led to a ban on these products in Hong Kong and Singapore, and now the European Union has also taken similar action, highlighting the widespread nature of this contamination.
Ethylene oxide is a colourless gas commonly used as a pesticide and sterilizing agent, but it is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, indicating that it is carcinogenic to humans.
Exposure to ethylene oxide is associated with an increased risk of various cancers, including lymphoma and leukaemia.
The contaminated products included a wide range of food items, with the majority being nuts and sesame seeds (313), herbs and spices (60), dietetic foods (48), and other miscellaneous food products (34).
Of the 527 items flagged, 332 had India as the sole country of origin, while the rest were tagged with other countries.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) analyzed a variety of food items from September 2020 to April 2024, including nuts, sesame seeds, herbs, spices, dietetic foods, and other miscellaneous products. The testing showed that a considerable amount of these products contained ethylene oxide, leading to regulatory measures by the EU in response to this contamination.
FSSAI responds
In response to the European Union’s (EU0 findings of carcinogenic chemicals in Indian food items, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated comprehensive quality checks on the implicated spices and other food products to ensure they meet safety standards.
