28-11-2023 (BANGKOK) Yongyos Thammawut, the Public Health Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, announced on Tuesday that the ministry’s Medical Sciences Department has successfully developed a technique to detect ethylene oxide in food products. This comes after recent findings by the European Union (EU) revealing the presence of the chemical in vanilla flavoring used in over 10 recipes of a popular ice cream brand.
According to Yongyos, ethylene oxide is classified as a hazardous substance under the 1992 Hazardous Substance Act. Originally used to sanitize medical equipment that cannot withstand high temperatures, this odourless chemical has been found to cause gene mutations leading to cancer and can also affect the reproductive system. In addition, consuming ethylene oxide can irritate the eyes, skin, respiratory system, and central nervous system.
While the EU has banned the use of ethylene oxide for sanitization purposes, some countries still permit its use. In response, Thailand will designate any food product containing ethylene contamination as substandard food, aligning with the regulations set forth in the 1979 Food Standard Act.
The Medical Sciences Department has developed a technique called Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to detect ethylene oxide contamination. This method, widely used by the EU to test for pesticides, provides a reliable means of identifying the presence of the chemical.
Importers of instant noodles now have the option to subject their imported products to random testing for ethylene oxide, with each sample costing 5,000 baht.
