Standards and regulations
Contaminated sesame seeds: strengthening prevention rather than dealing with the consequences of inspections
2 min.
Contaminated sesame seeds: what lessons can be learned for health safety in Europe?
In 2020, the discovery of sesame seeds imported from India containing ethylene oxide residues triggered one of the largest food product recalls in Europe. Thousands of products were affected across numerous countries, highlighting the challenges faced by the food industry in ensuring the sanitary safety of raw materials.
Beyond the incident itself, this crisis reminded the industry of the importance of maintaining constant vigilance throughout the supply chain.
A risk affecting the entire industry
Sesame seeds are used in a wide variety of food products, including bread, biscuits, prepared meals, sauces, seed mixes and organic products. Contamination of a single raw material can therefore impact numerous products distributed across multiple countries.
In a globalised market, manufacturers must ensure the compliance and sanitary safety of their supplies while meeting increasingly stringent regulatory requirements.
Prevention: a major challenge for manufacturers
Import controls and laboratory analyses play a key role in detecting non-compliance. However, sanitary safety relies above all on preventive measures implemented throughout the production chain.
Supplier selection, quality audits, analytical plans and process control are essential tools for reducing contamination risks and protecting consumers.
Securing raw materials before use
Dry ingredients such as seeds, spices, herbs, dried fruits and plant-based products may be exposed to microbiological hazards during cultivation, harvesting, storage or transport.
Appropriate treatment solutions help significantly reduce the microbiological load and strengthen the sanitary safety of raw materials before they are incorporated into finished products.
Saturated steam pasteurisation: an effective solution
To address these challenges, Steripure has developed an airless saturated steam pasteurisation technology specifically designed for dry ingredients.
This process effectively reduces the microbiological load while preserving the organoleptic qualities of products, including taste, colour, texture and functional properties.
Towards a more demanding food industry
The contaminated sesame seed crisis demonstrated that sanitary safety is a collective responsibility involving all stakeholders throughout the supply chain.
In a context of increasing regulatory requirements and consumer expectations, prevention and raw material protection are becoming strategic priorities for food manufacturers.