In an effort to identify the substance that has been the cause of too many recalls, The European Commission has added ethylene oxide to a list of pesticides to be tested. By new legislation, European nations will be required to collect food samples and test them for ethylene oxide from 2023 to 2026. In 2023, research will be conducted on dried beans, rye, and rice, followed by wheat in 2024, barley and oats in 2025, and dried beans, rye, and brown rice in 2026. The member States are required to submit the data for the prior calendar year by the end of August.

The objective is to assess consumer exposure to pesticide residues in foods with plant and animal origins and to ensure compliance with the maximum residue levels for pesticides. Ethylene oxide was discovered in sesame seeds from India in September 2020. Later, the substance was discovered in ingredients like herbs, spices, and locust bean gum, In Europe, it is forbidden to sanitize food with ethylene oxide.

The EU Commission tightened government regulations on some foods brought into Europe. The most recent regulations cover a variety of goods and nations, including American vanilla extract, Moroccan and Malaysian carob products, Mexican tomato ketchup, Indian calcium carbonate, and Moroccan and Malaysian tomato sauces.

The EU countries changed their policy towards goods containing the substance from zero tolerance to a more specialized approach in the summer of 2021. Companies must determine whether ethylene oxide is present in the finished product when it is discovered in raw material. Consumers will only recall finished goods that exceed the limit for ethylene oxide.

More than 100 pesticides will be examined in products with a plant origin between 2024 and 2026 under the new EU regulation. The testing of 30 pesticides on products of animal origin is listed. Products like chicken eggs, cow’s milk, and poultry fat contain DDT, fipronil, and lindane.

Additionally, in 2024, 10 samples of processed baby food with a cereal base must be collected and analyzed by each Member State. Other than infant formula, and processed cereal-based baby food, the focus will be on 10 samples of food for infants and young children in 2025, and in 2026, five samples of infant formula and follow-on formula should be examined.