You cannot rely on a promise alone. To make sure your spice powder is free of ethylene oxide (ETO), write "no ETO treatment" into the contract, buy from a grinder that uses steam sterilisation, trace the raw material, and test every lot for ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol at an accredited lab.
Testing is the final check. Supplier choice and raw material control are what keep residues out in the first place.
Why powders are a particular risk
A powder can carry ETO from several stages. The whole spice may have been fumigated before the grinder bought it. The powder may have been treated after grinding. A blend can pick up ETO from just one ingredient, such as a carrier, a starch or a minor spice bought from a trader.
Because EU limits for ETO are set at the limit of quantification, even a trace from one ingredient can fail the whole lot. See ETO treatment and EU rejections for the background.
Steps to take
- Specify "no ETO treatment at any stage" and name the residues to be tested: ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol, reported together where your market requires it.
- Choose a grinder that sterilises with steam on its own site, and check the steriliser and its batch records.
- Ask where each raw material comes from and get a written declaration from the grinder that no ETO was used upstream.
- For blends, ask for the source of every ingredient, including salt, starches, anti-caking agents and minor spices.
- Test each lot, not only the first, at a NABL-accredited lab with a method sensitive enough for your market.
- Have samples drawn by an inspector, not posted by the supplier.
Reading the test report
Check that the report names both ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol, gives the limit of quantification, and states the method. A result of "not detected" means little if the detection limit is higher than your market's limit.
Make sure the sample ID on the report matches the lot and the batch number on the bags. A report from a different lot proves nothing about yours. Our guides to reading a lab certificate and knowing whether a lab report is genuine explain what to check.
If a test comes back positive
Do not ship. Ask the supplier to trace which ingredient or lot caused it, and to replace the batch with tested material. Keep the original report and retained samples, because they will matter if there is a claim. Agree in your contract, before ordering, what happens to a lot that fails.
How we help
We check sterilisation methods and raw material sources during our audit, draw samples ourselves, and have every lot tested for ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol at a NABL-accredited lab. We share the original reports and hold back loading if a lot fails. Ask for a free sourcing review to set this up.