Identification of ethylene oxide in herbs, spices and other dried vegetables imported into Italy

Abstract

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyse ethylene oxide (EO) in 63 samples of dried vegetable materials for food use derived from import commodities and subjected to quality control for three food-transformation industries. EO residues were quantified through the determination of ethylene chlorohydrin (ECH). About 29% of the samples analysed contained more than 0.3 mg kg⁻¹ of EO. Thus, this specific analytical control limited to 20% of import aromatic matters needs to be increased. This paper demonstrates the importance of this specific control considering the banned use of microbial decontamination EO treatment in the European Union.

Keywords:

• ethylene oxide
• ethylene chlorohydrin
• microbial decontamination
• fumigation
• GC-MS