Ethylene oxide in EU Food Imports — RASFF Notifications
Ethylene oxide appeared in 961 RASFF notifications between 2020 and 2026 — 4.1% of the 23,724 notifications that identify a hazard. The origins cited most often are India, France, Germany. The most-affected product category is Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds. Volume in 2025 was down 23% on 2024.
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Ethylene oxide notifications by year
| Year | Notifications | of which border rejections | YoY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 323 | 5 | — | |
| 2021 | 345 | 30 | +6.8% | |
| 2022 | 152 | 57 | -55.9% | |
| 2023 | 56 | 38 | -63.2% | |
| 2024 | 39 | 28 | -30.4% | |
| 2025 | 30 | 16 | -23.1% | |
| 2026 | 16 | 6 | — | YTD |
| Total | 961 |
Origins most cited for Ethylene oxide
| # | Origin country | Notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 605 |
| 2 | France | 155 |
| 3 | Germany | 93 |
| 4 | Netherlands | 72 |
| 5 | Belgium | 57 |
| 6 | Turkey | 49 |
| 7 | Italy | 42 |
| 8 | China | 40 |
| 9 | Spain | 40 |
| 10 | Poland | 21 |
| 11 | Vietnam | 15 |
| 12 | United States | 14 |
| 13 | United Kingdom | 13 |
| 14 | Austria | 10 |
| 15 | Sweden | 10 |
| 16 | Denmark | 8 |
| 17 | Lebanon | 8 |
| 18 | Switzerland | 7 |
| 19 | South Korea | 6 |
| 20 | Thailand | 6 |
| 21 | Uganda | 6 |
| 22 | Czech Republic | 5 |
| 23 | Egypt | 5 |
| 24 | Finland | 5 |
| 25 | Greece | 4 |
| 26 | Pakistan | 4 |
| 27 | Portugal | 4 |
| 28 | Slovenia | 4 |
| 29 | Bulgaria | 3 |
| 30 | Croatia | 3 |
Product categories where Ethylene oxide appears
| # | Product category | Notifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuts, Nut Products and Seeds | 375 |
| 2 | Herbs and Spices | 146 |
| 3 | Dietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified Foods | 121 |
| 4 | Food Additives and Flavourings | 77 |
| 5 | Other Food Product / Mixed | 77 |
| 6 | Cereals and Bakery Products | 60 |
| 7 | Fruits and Vegetables | 24 |
| 8 | Ices and Desserts | 21 |
| 9 | Prepared Dishes and Snacks | 18 |
| 10 | Soups, Broths, Sauces and Condiments | 17 |
| 11 | Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and Tea | 8 |
| 12 | Feed Additives | 5 |
| 13 | Fats and Oils | 3 |
| 14 | Milk and Milk Products | 3 |
| 15 | Feed Materials | 2 |
Recent Ethylene oxide notifications
- 2026.5772 IndiaHerbs and SpicesBlack pepper powder India Ethyleenoxide ethylene oxide
- 2026.5439 ChinaDietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified FoodsEthylene oxide on food supplement from China ethylene oxide
- 2026.5423 ChinaDietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified FoodsPrzekroczenie NDP w suplementacie diety /// exceeding the MRL for ETO in food supplement from China ethylene oxide
- 2026.5355 IndiaDietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified FoodsEthylene oxide in Boswellia serrata extracts from India ethylene oxide
- 2026.5042 PakistanCereals and Bakery ProductsEthylene Oxide in Organic Brown Rice via Ireland ethylene oxide
- 2026.5038 IndiaSoups, Broths, Sauces and CondimentsPresence of Ethylene Oxide in Worchestershire sauce from India ethylene oxide
- 2026.4987 ItalyCereals and Bakery ProductsEthylene oxide in Brown Rice via Italy ethylene oxide
- 2026.4983 PakistanCereals and Bakery ProductsEthylene oxide in organic brown basmati rice origin Pakistan via Ireland ethylene oxide
- 2026.3173 IndiaHerbs and SpicesEthylene oxide in hot red chilli powder ethylene oxide
- 2026.2271 LebanonHerbs and SpicesEthylene oxide in spices from Lebanon ethylene oxide
- 2026.2270 LebanonHerbs and SpicesEthleneoxide in spices from Lebanon chlorateethionethylene oxidepropoxur+1 more
- 2026.1411 SloveniaDietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified FoodsUnauthorised substance ethylene oxide (sum of 2-chloroethanol and ethylene oxide, expressed as ethylene oxide) in food supplements from Slovenia 2-chloroethanolethylene oxide
- 2026.0667 ChinaNuts, Nut Products and SeedsEthyleenoxide in Kurkuma-extract from China ethylene oxide
- 2026.0017 United StatesHerbs and SpicesEthylene oxide in various spice mixes ethylene oxidemineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH)
- 2026.0016 IndiaHerbs and Spicesethyleneoxide(sum) in Indian biryani masala ethylene oxide
- 2026.0006 SpainCereals and Bakery ProductsEthylene oxide in quinoa ethylene oxide
- 2025.9967 United StatesDietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified FoodsEthylene oxide in organic food supplement from the USA ethylene oxide
- 2025.9947 IndiaDietetic Foods, Food Supplements and Fortified FoodsPesticides residues in food supplement from India ethylene oxide
- 2025.8437 Sri LankaCocoa and Cocoa Preparations, Coffee and TeaEthylene oxide in organic chamomile tea from Sri Lanka // Óxido de etileno en el té de manzanilla orgánico de Sri Lanka ethylene oxide
- 2025.8221 IndiaHerbs and SpicesUnauthorised substance ethylene oxide in Garam Masala from India ethylene oxide
About Ethylene oxide
Ethylene oxide is a fumigant classified as a mutagen and carcinogen; its use on food is not authorised in the EU. Its detection in sesame seeds from India in September 2020 set off one of the largest recall waves in RASFF history, later spreading to spices and to food additives such as locust bean gum used in ice cream and other processed foods.
Which RASFF notifications does this page count?
All classifications: alert notifications, border rejection notifications and information notifications. A consignment rejected at the border and a product recalled from shelves are both evidence that the hazard reached EU food controls, so both count. The by-year table shows the border-rejection share separately.
What happens when this hazard is found in a consignment?
At the border, the consignment is refused entry and either re-dispatched, destroyed or downgraded to non-food use. On the internal market, the product is withdrawn or recalled and every member state that received it is notified through RASFF. Repeated findings against one origin can move that origin onto Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, which fixes an increased frequency of identity and physical checks at the border.
Where does this data come from?
The public RASFF Window operated by the European Commission, refetched daily. Counts are per notification, so one consignment listing several variants of the same hazard is counted once.