ETO testing for Indian spices and botanicals: what buyers should ask
By the IndoFolk Wellness Care Team | Last reviewed October 2026
Quick answer: Ask for ethylene oxide reported as the legal sum: ETO plus 2-chloroethanol (2-CE), expressed as ETO. Each figure should come from a GC-MS/MS method with a limit of quantification below your market's limit, and be tied to your lot. EU and GB limits are 0.1 mg/kg for most spices and 0.02 mg/kg for dried chilli and dried ginger. Many Indian spice exports to the EU, and since 2026 to Great Britain, need an official certificate backed by an ETO report.
Ethylene oxide (ETO) moved from a niche lab test to a standard buying requirement within one season. In late 2020, Belgium raised an alert on Indian sesame seeds with ETO residues of up to 186 mg/kg. By 20 November 2020 there were roughly 140 alerts from 17 EU member states and two EFTA countries. If you buy Indian spices, herbs or botanical extracts, ETO now belongs in your specification, your CoA review and your sampling plan.
What is ethylene oxide, and why do buyers test for it?
ETO is a gas used to sterilise medical equipment. It has also been used as a fumigant to reduce microbial load in dry foods. The EU banned plant protection products containing ETO in 1991. India's Spices Board notes that WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies ETO as a Group 1 carcinogen.
ETO itself is volatile and dissipates quickly. In food it reacts with chloride to form 2-chloroethanol (2-CE), which is removed far less by airing, so most positive results are driven by 2-CE. That is why EU and GB rules define the residue as "the sum of ethylene oxide and 2-chloro-ethanol, expressed as ethylene oxide". A test that reports only ETO can miss most of the residue.
What are the limits for spices and herbs in the EU and GB?
The limits for most products are set at the analytical limit of quantification (LOQ). In practice, any quantifiable residue is non-compliant.
Product group | EU limit, mg/kg (sum ETO + 2-CE) | Note |
|---|---|---|
Dried chilli peppers | 0.02 | Same figure listed for GB |
Dried ginger | 0.02 | Same figure listed for GB |
Culinary herbs (thyme, basil, bay, curry leaves) | 0.05 | Herb group limit |
Oilseeds, including sesame | 0.05 | Lowered from 0.2 in 2015 |
Most other spices (turmeric, pepper, cardamom, cumin) | 0.10 | Lowered from 0.2 in 2015; same for GB |
Food and feed additives | 0.10 | Applied during the 2021 additive incident |
Limits can change, so confirm the current figure for your exact commodity in the EU pesticide residues database or the GB MRL register before you sign a specification.
What happened in 2020–21, and why does it still matter?
The sesame alerts were the start. In 2021, ETO was found in the additive locust bean gum (E410), which had been used in products such as ice cream, and the European Commission coordinated a response across member states. The Commission treated findings above 0.1 mg/kg in additives as both a non-compliance and a safety issue. It also agreed that pet feed with ETO above 0.02 mg/kg made with a contaminated ingredient should be recalled, because pets can be exposed over longer periods. That point matters if you formulate pet products with botanical ingredients.
The lesson for buyers: ETO can arrive through a minor ingredient, such as a gum, a carrier or a spice in a blend. Your controls have to reach every ingredient, not just the headline herb.
What does India now require before export?
India's Spices Board, a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, runs mandatory sampling and testing for several destinations.
Destination | Requirement | Since |
|---|---|---|
EU and Northern Ireland | Cleared ETO analytical report and Spices Board official certificate for notified spices (Circular 05/2022-23) | May 2022 |
EU (spice mixes, curry pastes, sauces, RTE products) | ETO limit of 0.1 mg/kg set for spice mix products (Circular 24/2022-23) | March 2023 |
Singapore and Hong Kong | Compulsory ETO testing of spice exports | 2024 |
Great Britain (England) | Official certificate with pesticide and ETO results for heading 0910 spices, including turmeric and ginger, under SI 2025/1162 | 1 January 2026 |
For Great Britain, the Spices Board's November 2025 advisory set out an interim route: exporters ask for pesticide and ETO testing as a non-mandatory sample until the formal programme covers these products. Ask your supplier which route their certificate came through.
The Board's May 2024 guidelines also tell exporters to treat ETO as a hazard in their HACCP plan and not to use it as a steriliser. They should also test raw materials, processing aids, packaging and finished goods, and confirm that transporters and warehouses do not use ETO. The suggested alternatives are steam sterilisation and irradiation, though irradiation is not permitted for organic products under India's NPOP.
How is ETO tested in the lab?
The method EU reference laboratories describe (EURL-SRM) works like this:
Extraction: QuEChERS, or QuOil for oily matrices, using acetonitrile.
Detection: GC-MS/MS, measuring ETO and 2-CE separately, then summing them as ETO.
Sample preparation: cryogenic milling with dry ice, because ETO is volatile and heat or long grinding can drive it off.
Interpretation: the EURL flags that low-level 2-CE readings, below 0.1 mg/kg, are an open question, and that other sources and cross-contamination need study. Treat a borderline 2-CE result as a reason to investigate rather than as proof of fumigation, but the legal limit still applies.
What should go into your spec and CoA?
CoA field | What good looks like |
|---|---|
Analyte | "Ethylene oxide (sum of ETO and 2-CE, expressed as ETO)", with ETO and 2-CE also reported separately |
Method | GC-MS/MS with the method reference stated |
LOQ | Below your market's limit (for example under 0.02 mg/kg for chilli or ginger) |
Result | A number or "< LOQ", never just "complies" |
Lab | ISO/IEC 17025 accredited for this test; accreditation number on the report |
Traceability | Lot or batch number, sampling date and sampler named |
Process declaration | Sterilisation method stated (for example steam) and a written no-ETO declaration |
For blends and extracts, also ask for ETO results on high-risk inputs such as gums, carriers and individual spices.
How should sampling work?
Sample per lot, not per supplier. A clean result on one lot says nothing about the next.
Use a recognised plan. EU Directive 2002/63/EC sets the sampling methods for official pesticide residue control and is a sensible reference.
Prevent cross-contamination. The Spices Board's guidance warns about gloves and sampling tools.
Keep a sealed counter-sample from each lot so you can re-test if a border result is disputed.
Verify independently from time to time, using a lab you choose on a sample drawn at loading or on arrival.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ETO limit for turmeric in the UK?
For turmeric and most other spices, the EU and GB limit is 0.10 mg/kg, measured as the sum of ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol, expressed as ethylene oxide. Dried chilli and dried ginger have a lower limit of 0.02 mg/kg. Since 1 January 2026, Indian turmeric entering England also needs an official certificate with ETO results.
Why does my CoA need to show 2-chloroethanol?
ETO is volatile and turns into 2-chloroethanol in food, so most of any residue is usually present as 2-CE. EU and GB rules define the residue as the sum of the two, expressed as ETO. A CoA that reports ETO alone can understate the residue, so ask for both values and their sum.
Is ETO testing mandatory for Indian spice exports?
Yes, for some destinations. India's Spices Board requires a cleared ETO report and an official certificate for notified spices going to the EU and Northern Ireland, and compulsory ETO testing for Singapore and Hong Kong. Since January 2026 it has also offered pesticide and ETO testing and certificates for spices going to Great Britain.
Which test method should I ask my supplier's lab to use?
Ask for GC-MS/MS after QuEChERS or QuOil extraction, the approach described by the EU reference laboratory for single-residue methods. ETO and 2-CE should be reported separately and as a sum. The LOQ should sit below the legal limit for your product, and the lab should be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 for this test.
Work With IndoFolk Wellness
IndoFolk Wellness is a sourcing and export coordination partner based in New Delhi, and we do not own factories. We help brands and importers select vetted Indian manufacturers, set up ETO and residue requirements in the specification, and check CoAs before shipment. Request a quote, samples or a spec sheet.
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This article is general information, not legal, regulatory or veterinary advice.
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