EU: Ethylene oxide no longer authorised for use as a food additive

The EU regulation on the use of ethylene oxide in food additives has been revised. As the substance has been identified as a carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic, the European Commission has ordered that ethylene oxide will no longer be authorized for use as a food additive. The Commission has also set a limit of 0.1 milligrams per kilogram for ethylene oxide, including 2-chloro-ethanol expressed as ethylene oxide, in certain additives that are treated with the substance.