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Sesame seeds: India suspends exports of poisonous seeds

October 19, 2020 at 4:40 PM , Der AUDITOR
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NEW DELHI. All sesame seed exports from India to the EU will be stopped this week by order of the Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC). Issue is the ethylene oxide scandal that has unravelled in recent weeks. Market players also hold buyers to account for the situation.

What has happened so far

Findings of elevated ethylene oxide levels in sesame seeds shipped from India have prompted product recalls throughout Europe in recent weeks. A trader in Belgium had unwittingly put the seeds into circulation. Ethylene oxide is mainly used in India to fumigate heat-sensitive products such as ground spices to kill bacteria such as salmonella. Some exporters also use the gas to treat other commodities such as sesame seeds, as critical salmonella levels have been found in the past. In Germany, however, the use of ethylene oxide has been prohib

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