Recalls of contaminated sesame seeds continue in Europe

The unauthorised presence of ethylene oxide in products containing sesame seeds was first reported in September 2020. Since then, nearly 500 cases of unauthorised use of ethylene oxide have been reported, according to a European food alert system.

The European Commission has implemented more stringent checks on sesame seeds from India since October 2020, as recalls due to pesticide residue contamination continue. Over half of the EU’s annual imports of 70 000 tons of sesame comes from India. The additional measures require all products containing sesame seeds to be tested prior to exporting to the EU. Some of the products commonly affected include cereal, biscuits, crackers, and sesame oil.

Because ethylene oxide has been known to be used in the control of microbes in herbs and spices, some countries are calling for more stringent measures for these types of products as well.

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