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🍎 Food DE AT BE CôTE D'IVOIRE FR December 11, 2020

unauthorised substance ethylene oxide in sesame seeds from India, via the Netherlands

Classification
Alert notification
Risk
Serious
Category
nuts, nut products and seeds
Hazard
ethylene oxide - {pesticide residues}
Origin
India
Notifier
Germany
🗄
Archived (older alert)
This alert was reported 1995 days ago and has been moved from our active feed to the archive. The original safety information still applies — we have no confirmation from the issuing agency that the product is safe again. Refer to the official notice for the current status.
📈 Timeline
0 days in total
May 17, 2026 May 17, 2026
Daily snapshot data starts accumulating once the scheduler runs — for now this is interpolated from the agency's first/last dates.

What is this? Sesame seeds from India may have a harmful chemical called ethylene oxide. This chemical is not allowed in food.

What's happening? Some sesame seeds from India were found with too much ethylene oxide. They came to Europe through the Netherlands.

Does this affect me? This affects people in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, and Côte d'Ivoire. You may have bought these seeds.

What should I do? Do not eat these seeds. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you feel sick.

🤖 This plain-language summary is automatically generated from the official agency notice using AI. It is for general information only — not medical advice. For decisions about your health, always consult a pharmacist or doctor and read the official source linked below.

🔬 Medical / technical details (for professionals)
Agency-published detail

Classification: Alert notification · Risk: Serious · Category: nuts, nut products and seeds · Hazard: ethylene oxide - {pesticide residues} · Origin: India · Notifier: Germany

First published
December 11, 2020
Last refreshed by us
1 week ago
Severity (as classified)
High
Official source
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/search?notificationReference=2020.5694

All information on this page comes from the official agency notice. We translate and summarise it; we don't add or edit facts.

Related alerts

❓ Frequently asked questions

What is this product recall alert about?
unauthorised substance ethylene oxide in sesame seeds from India, via the Netherlands. Classification: Alert notification · Risk: Serious · Category: nuts, nut products and seeds · Hazard: ethylene oxide - {pesticide residues} · Origin: India · Notifier: Germany
When was this alert issued?
This alert was issued on December 11, 2020 by EU RASFF.
Which countries are affected?
The alert applies to the following countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, CôTE D'IVOIRE, and France.
How serious is this alert?
Serious risk. A serious risk means the product or medicine can cause significant harm. Treat the alert as urgent.
What should I do?
If you have this product at home, stop using it and return it to the point of purchase for a refund. Keep the receipt if you have one — most retailers refund without it for safety recalls.
Where can I find the official notice?
The full official notice is published on webgate.ec.europa.eu.

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⚠️ We aggregate official notices. We do not give medical advice. For medical or legal decisions, consult the source agency and a qualified professional.