Are Your Food Products Safe from ETO Contamination?

Ensure the quality and safety of your food products and protect your brand with Ethylene Oxide residue testing from SGS.

Ethylene Oxide (ETO) is a toxic compound that is used to sterilise food items, spices and medical and pharmaceutical products. Exposure to ETO residue can cause severe health problems.

Additionally, testing for EtO residues before your products are placed on the market protects your brand reputation and prevents financial losses due to product recalls. Food products exported from India must have a Transaction Certificate, issued by a certification body. To obtain such a certificate, there must be a clear EtO test report issued by a laboratory that is duly accredited by NABL to undertake this test.

SGS offers testing for ETO contamination in food products, using Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), in our NABL accredited food testing laboratories.

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Find out more about ETO residue testing. Contact an SGS expert.

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Ethylene Oxide Residue Testing

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SGS Live Presents: Ethylene Oxide - A Global Concern for Food Regulators

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Why test for ETO residue?

Exposure to ETO can cause:

Major irritation to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract
Nausea and vomiting
Central nervous system depression

Chronic exposure is associated with an increased risk of cancer.

If food sterilised with Ethylene Oxide is not aerated properly, ETO residue can remain. This can lead to the formation of 2-Chloroethanol, another toxic compound that can cause damage to the heart, liver and kidneys as well as respiratory failure. Exposure to 2-Chloroethanol is sometimes fatal.

ETO residues exceeding maximum residue levels (MRLs) specified by food regulators have been found in a significant number of food products worldwide. From September 2020 to February 2021, there were more than 500 recalls of food products in the EU because of ETO contamination.

How SGS can help

We test for Ethylene Oxide and 2-Chloroethanol in food products using GC-MS/MS, delivering precise results at or above the limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.01 mg/kg. Our method, which involves the determination of 2-CE as a marker for ETO, has been validated according to SANTE/12682/2019 guidelines.

Testing is performed at our food testing laboratories, which are accredited by NABL and approved by FSSAI, IOPEPC, APEDA, EIC, BIS, KFDA and SFDA.

Why choose SGS?

As the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, we provide a comprehensive suite of solutions for the food industry. Our precise, extensive testing services ensure the safety of your food products, so you can reduce risk, maintain competitiveness and ensure consumer trust in your brand.