Ethylene oxide residues are counted together with 2 chloroethanol. In September 2020 very high levels were notified in sesame seeds from India, more than 1,000 times the limit of 0.05 mg/kg that applied, according to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1540. The same regulation records that ethylene oxide is classified as a mutagen, a carcinogen and a reproductive toxicant and is not approved for plant protection products in the EU.
1,235 notifications since 1 January 2020 named ethylene oxide, 4% of all EU notifications in that time. 21 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 35 in the 365 days before, down 40%. 16% were border rejections and 85% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were India (666), France (196) and Germany (124). The product categories named most often were nuts, nut products and seeds (413), herbs and spices (169) and food supplements and dietetic foods (147). The products named most often were sesame seeds (383), food supplements (99) and thickeners (61).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1540 on sesame seeds from India, recitals 3 to 7; Ethylene oxide incident, sesame seeds, European Commission.
Counts start on 1 January 2020 and run to 8 November 2026, the day the list was last read. A notification that names two countries of origin counts for each. Findings come from our word list matched against the EU subject line, which is never shown; 96% of all notifications match it, the rest count as other finding. Each reference links to the official record on RASFF Window. How this works.
Latest notifications that named ethylene oxide
The newest 25 of 1,235, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Border rejection notified by Spain: ethylene oxide in herbs or spices from India, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.9692, validated 30 October 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Malta: ethylene oxide in chutneys and hot sauces from India, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.9424, validated 22 October 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Spain: ethylene oxide in nuts or seeds from India, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.8210, validated 16 September 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Italy: ethylene oxide in sesame seeds from India, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.7570, validated 27 August 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Spain: ethylene oxide in raspberries from Portugal, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.7580, validated 27 August 2026.
- Border rejection notified by the Netherlands: ethylene oxide in black or white pepper from India, risk decision serious, reference 2026.5772, validated 30 June 2026.
- Information for attention notified by the Netherlands: ethylene oxide in food supplements from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.5439, validated 19 June 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Poland: ethylene oxide in food supplements from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.5423, validated 19 June 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Italy: ethylene oxide in a food supplement from India, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.5355, validated 17 June 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Malta: ethylene oxide in sauces from India, risk decision serious, reference 2026.5038, validated 8 June 2026.
- Alert notified by Malta: ethylene oxide in rice from Pakistan, risk decision serious, reference 2026.5042, validated 8 June 2026.
- Alert notified by Malta: ethylene oxide in rice from Italy, risk decision serious, reference 2026.4987, validated 5 June 2026.
- Alert notified by Malta: ethylene oxide in basmati rice from Pakistan, risk decision serious, reference 2026.4983, validated 5 June 2026.
- Border rejection notified by the Netherlands: ethylene oxide in chilli powder from India, risk decision serious, reference 2026.3173, validated 14 April 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Switzerland: ethylene oxide in spices from Lebanon, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.2271, validated 18 March 2026.
- Alert notified by Germany: ethylene oxide in food supplements from Slovenia, risk decision serious, reference 2026.1411, validated 19 February 2026.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: ethylene oxide in nuts or seeds from China, risk decision serious, reference 2026.0667, validated 27 January 2026.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: ethylene oxide in spice mixes from the United States, risk decision serious, reference 2026.0017, validated 5 January 2026.
- Border rejection notified by the Netherlands: ethylene oxide in spice mixes from India, risk decision serious, reference 2026.0016, validated 5 January 2026.
- Alert notified by France: ethylene oxide in grains from Spain, risk decision serious, reference 2026.0006, validated 2 January 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Czechia: ethylene oxide in food supplements from the United States, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.9967, validated 12 December 2025.
- Border rejection notified by Spain: ethylene oxide in herbal infusions from Sri Lanka, risk decision potential risk, reference 2025.8437, validated 30 October 2025.
- Border rejection notified by Germany: ethylene oxide in spice mixes from India, risk decision serious, reference 2025.8221, validated 24 October 2025.
- Alert notified by France: ethylene oxide in cinnamon from Vietnam, risk decision serious, reference 2025.8066, validated 20 October 2025.
- Alert notified by the Netherlands: ethylene oxide in cloves from China, risk decision serious, reference 2025.7509, validated 1 October 2025.
Other pesticide residues: chlorpyrifos, pesticide residues, acetamiprid.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 416 |
| 2021 | 481 |
| 2022 | 187 |
| 2023 | 61 |
| 2024 | 41 |
| 2025 | 29 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 20 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Border rejection | 196 | 16% |
| Alert | 863 | 70% |
| Information for follow up | 37 | 3% |
| Information for attention | 139 | 11% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 1,050 | 85% |
| Potentially serious | 51 | 4% |
| Potential risk | 12 | under 1% |
| Not serious | 3 | under 1% |
| Undecided | 119 | 10% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Sesame seeds | 383 |
| Food supplements | 99 |
| Thickeners | 61 |
| Spice mixes | 44 |
| Ice cream | 37 |
| Sesame products | 29 |
| Bread | 25 |
| Noodle dishes | 25 |
| Food supplement powders | 12 |
| Spices | 12 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| India | 666 | 54% |
| France | 196 | 16% |
| Germany | 124 | 10% |
| Netherlands | 98 | 8% |
| Belgium | 78 | 6% |
| Spain | 69 | 6% |
| Italy | 61 | 5% |
| Türkiye | 57 | 5% |
| China | 49 | 4% |
| Origin not given | 29 | 2% |
| Poland | 25 | 2% |
| United Kingdom | 21 | 2% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuts, nut products and seeds | 413 | 33% |
| Herbs and spices | 169 | 14% |
| Food supplements and dietetic foods | 147 | 12% |
| Cereals and bakery products | 130 | 11% |
| Other and mixed food products | 110 | 9% |
| Food additives and flavourings | 95 | 8% |
| Ices and desserts | 40 | 3% |
| Prepared dishes and snacks | 39 | 3% |
| Fruit and vegetables | 28 | 2% |
| Soups, sauces and condiments | 25 | 2% |
| Cocoa, coffee and tea | 9 | under 1% |
| Milk and milk products | 8 | under 1% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 285 | 23% |
| Germany | 237 | 19% |
| France | 125 | 10% |
| Belgium | 112 | 9% |
| Spain | 77 | 6% |
| Italy | 69 | 6% |
| Sweden | 40 | 3% |
| Denmark | 30 | 2% |
Get these by email
A free weekly digest of new notifications for the products and origins you pick. Or tell us you would pay EUR 29 a month for an email the same day the EU publishes one.