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🍎 Food DE ARGENTINA AT BOLIVIA FR HU NL October 22, 2021

Unauthorized substance ethylene oxide (& 2-chloroethanol) in xanthan gum from China

Classification
Information notification for follow-up
Risk
Undecided
Category
food additives and flavourings
Hazard
ethylcarbamate - {chemical contamination (other)} *** ethylene oxide - {pesticide residues}
Origin
China *** Germany
Notifier
Germany
🗄
Archived (older alert)
This alert was reported 1681 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? A food additive called xanthan gum from China may have two unsafe chemicals: ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol.

What's happening? Germany found these chemicals in some xanthan gum. Other countries are checking their supplies too.

Does this affect me? If you bought food with xanthan gum from China, it might be affected. Check labels for "xanthan gum."

What should I do? If you're worried, ask your doctor or pharmacist before eating foods with this gum.

🤖 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: Information notification for follow-up · Risk: Undecided · Category: food additives and flavourings · Hazard: ethylcarbamate - {chemical contamination (other)} *** ethylene oxide - {pesticide residues} · Origin: China *** Germany · Notifier: Germany

First published
October 22, 2021
Last refreshed by us
1 week ago
Severity (as classified)
Low
Official source
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/search?notificationReference=2021.5728

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?
Unauthorized substance ethylene oxide (& 2-chloroethanol) in xanthan gum from China. Classification: Information notification for follow-up · Risk: Undecided · Category: food additives and flavourings · Hazard: ethylcarbamate - {chemical contamination (other)} *** ethylene oxide - {pesticide residues} · Origin: China *** Germany · Notifier: Germany
When was this alert issued?
This alert was issued on October 22, 2021 by EU RASFF.
Which countries are affected?
The alert applies to the following countries: Germany, ARGENTINA, Austria, BOLIVIA, France, Hungary, and Netherlands.
How serious is this alert?
Low risk. A low risk means harm is unlikely under normal use. The alert is informational but still worth reading.
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.