EU flagged cancer-causing chemicals in 527 Indian food products: Report

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• Apr 27, 2024 | Guriya Khatun

Ethylene oxide was found in 525 food products and two feed products, according to RASFF data. In the remaining cases where the chemical was detected,

Digital Desk: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has consistently found amounts of the carcinogenic chemical ethylene oxide in Indian products, which resulted in the ban of Indian goods in Singapore and Hong Kong. The European Union's food safety officials discovered contamination in 527 items connected to India between September 2020 and April 2024, according to a Declan Herald story that cited data from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). 

Among other things, these contaminations were mostly nuts and sesame seeds, herbs and spices, and dietetic foods. 87 consignments out of 527 products were turned down at the border, and many more were later taken out of the marketplaces.

Ethylene oxide was found in 525 food products and two feed products, according to RASFF data. In the remaining cases where the chemical was detected, additional nations were linked to India, which was identified as the only place of origin for 332. 

Today, ethylene oxide is employed as a pesticide and sterilise agent in addition to its original function in the sterilisation of medical equipment. Leukemia and lymphoma are two of the cancers linked to exposure to this toxin. 

 Chief operating officer of Ramaiah Advanced Testing Labs Jubin George Joseph emphasized the risks associated with ethylene glycol, a byproduct of ethylene oxide, which has been known to cause deaths in Africa when it was found in cough syrups.

Joseph also underlined the necessity of looking at safe substitutes, such gamma ray therapy, and asked authorities to undertake research and persuade the industry to use them. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is one such agency. 

 An activist expressed concerns about the chemicals found in exported goods, highlighting the necessity of conducting thorough safety inspections on products sold in local marketplaces as well.

The toxicity of ethylene oxide and its breakdown products has led to the EU setting a limit of 0.1 mg/kg for the gas. 121 tainted products were found in 2022 and 2023, indicating that Indian products had not yet met the necessary quality requirements, despite warnings from organizations like the Spices Board in September 2021, which requested exporters to undergo tests.