The European Commission’s new Regulation N° 2022/1396 makes changes to the Regulation on food additive specifications N° 231/2012, specifically regarding the presence of ethylene oxide.
Ethylene oxide is a substance classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic.
For this reason, its use as a plant protection product is not permitted.
However, this chemical still plays an important role as a sterilising agent and as a raw material in the manufacture of various products.
With regard to food additives, the European food and feed safety alerts (RASFF – food and feed safety alerts (europa.eu)) has received several reports of ethylene oxide contamination in food products.
As a result, the European Union has decreed ethylene oxide to be an unauthorised substance in food additives.
According to the new regulation, the maximum permitted corresponds to the threshold of quantification.
As a consequence, the European Commission amended the 2012 regulation, adding the following text :
“The use of ethylene oxide in food additives for sterilisation purposes is not permitted. The presence of residues of ethylene oxide (sum of ethylene oxide and 2-chloro-ethanol, expressed as ethylene oxide (*) exceeding 0.1 mg/kg, regardless of their origin, is not permitted in food additives listed in Annexes II and III of Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008, including mixtures of food additives. “
Our offer
Upscience Italia has recently expanded its panel of accredited analyzes to meet the need for ethylene oxide control of the food and animal nutrition industries. We offer the analysis of ethylene oxide and its metabolite (2-chloroethanol) under accreditation ACCREDIA.
