In September 2020 EU countries found ethylene oxide, a substance not approved in the EU for plant protection, in sesame seeds from India at more than 1,000 times the 0.05 mg/kg limit. The EU tightened controls within weeks, and since 2020 1,235 EU notifications have named ethylene oxide, most of them on goods already inside the EU.
What did the EU say at the time?
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1540 of 22 October 2020 records, in its recitals, that very high levels of ethylene oxide were notified through RASFF in September 2020 in sesame seeds from India, exceeding more than 1,000 times the maximum residue level of 0.05 mg/kg that applied under Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. It records that ethylene oxide is classified as a mutagen, a carcinogen and a reproductive toxicant, all in category 1B, and that it is not approved as an active substance for plant protection products in the EU. Recital 2 gives the incidents notified through RASFF, and the results of member states' own official controls on sesame seeds from India, as the reason for the change.
What did the EU change?
The same regulation required sesame seeds from India to travel with an official certificate stating that they had been sampled and analysed for pesticide residues with compliant results, and set identity and physical checks at the border for pesticide residues on 50% of consignments. The Commission held a crisis coordinators meeting on 9 October 2020 and followed the incident in later committee meetings.
How big did it get?
Since 2020, 1,235 notifications named ethylene oxide: 416 in 2020, 481 in 2021, 187 in 2022, 61 in 2023, 41 in 2024, 29 in 2025, 20 in 2026 to 8 Nov 2026. The busiest month was November 2020, with 191. 84% were alerts or information notifications about goods already inside the EU rather than border rejections.
Which products and origins?
The product categories named most often were nuts, nut products and seeds (413), herbs and spices (169), food supplements and dietetic foods (147), cereals and bakery products (130) and other and mixed food products (110), and the products named most often within them were sesame seeds (383), food supplements (99), thickeners (61), spice mixes (44), ice cream (37) and sesame products (29). The origins named most often were India (666), France (196), Germany (124), the Netherlands (98), Belgium (78) and Spain (69). Some of them are EU member states, where foods containing the ingredients were made.
How did it develop year by year?
| Year | Notifications | Border rejections |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 416 | 5 |
| 2021 | 481 | 33 |
| 2022 | 187 | 71 |
| 2023 | 61 | 36 |
| 2024 | 41 | 26 |
| 2025 | 29 | 15 |
| 2026 to 8 Nov 2026 | 20 | 10 |
Outside India, the origins named most often were France (196), Germany (124), the Netherlands (98), Belgium (78), Spain (69), Italy (61) and 1 more.
Who notified it?
The countries that notified ethylene oxide most often were the Netherlands (285), Germany (237), France (125), Belgium (112) and Spain (77). 85% of the notifications carried a serious risk decision, a higher share than the 52% for all notifications since 2020.
Is it still found?
In the last 365 days to 8 November 2026 there were 21 notifications naming ethylene oxide, against 35 in the 365 days before. Of the 897 in 2020 and 2021, 4% were border rejections; of those since 2022, 47% were. Residues are counted as the sum of ethylene oxide and 2 chloroethanol, expressed as ethylene oxide, as the 2020 regulation states.
What does it mean for buyers today?
The special conditions remain: Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, in its consolidated text of 30 June 2026, still lists sesame seeds and many dried spices from India for pesticide residues, sesame now at 20% of consignments. Asking a supplier for test results that cover ethylene oxide, and checking the ethylene oxide page for new notifications, is the cheapest protection.
Sources
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1540 on sesame seeds from India, recitals 3 to 7, checked 18 October 2026
- Ethylene oxide incident, sesame seeds, European Commission, checked 18 October 2026
- Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 on pesticide residues, Articles 3 and 18, checked 18 October 2026
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, consolidated text of 30 June 2026, Annexes I and II, checked 18 October 2026
- RASFF Window, European Commission: numbers computed from the list read on 8 November 2026
Last checked 18 October 2026. Numbers on this page are recomputed each time the data is read, last on 8 November 2026.