Poisonous sesame from India sent back from Serbian border: Almost 20,000 kilos stopped by inspectors

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Sesame from India has been returned from the Serbian border, it has been confirmed for Telegraf Biznis.

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As sources from the relevant ministry told our reporters, during official checks the border phytosanitary inspection performs control of the presence of pesticides, metals and other contaminant residues in food and animal feed. Among other things, sesame and products containing sesame originating in India are regularly checked for the presence of ethylene oxide.

Thus, during regular inspection, 17,800 kilograms of hulled sesame seeds originating from India were checked. During this process, a sample was taken and sent to an authorized laboratory to be tested for ethylene oxide.

Based on the result of the laboratory test, the presence of ethylene oxide in the amount higher than allowed was determined.

A decision on an import ban has been issued for the shipment, and the procedure of returning it to the supplier is in progress.

Otherwise, Croatia and other European countries have been flooded for months with contaminated sesame imported from India, which contains the carcinogenic pesticide ethylene oxide - this is the reason why a number of sesame products have been withdrawn from the Croatian market.

The incident with ethylene oxide, which is used to treat sesame seeds, has been a main topic at the RASFF food safety agency for some time, among EU members and third countries.

The European Union concluded that such contamination poses a serious risk to human health, as ethylene oxide is classified as a carcinogenic and reproductively toxic substance, and in addition, it is not approved for use in products for plant protection.

Sesame is found almost everywhere, at least in traces, as well as peanuts. This is especially true of snacks, spreads, and bread mixes. Not everyone has withdrawn products because of excessive levels of ethylene oxide had been discovered - some have done it preventively.

(Telegraf Biznis)