Summary
Sesame seeds within the European Union (EU) are classified as foods not of animal origin. Two food safety issues associated with sesame seeds have emerged in recent years, i.e., <i>Salmonella</i> contamination and the presence of ethylene oxide. Fumigation with ethylene oxide to reduce <i>Salmonella</i> in seeds and spices is not approved in the EU, so its presence in sesame seeds from India was a sentinel incident sparking multiple trans-European product recalls between 2020-2021. Following an interpretivist approach, this study utilises academic and grey sources including data from the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) database to inform a critical appraisal of current EU foods not of animal origin legislation and associated governance structures and surveillance programs. This is of particular importance as consumers are encouraged towards plant-based diets. This study shows the importance of collaborative governance utilizing data from company testing and audits as well as official regulatory controls to define the depth and breadth of a given incident in Europe. The development of reflexive governance supported by the newest technology (e.g., blockchain) might be of value in public-private models of food safety governance. This study contributes to the literature on the adoption of risk-based food safety regulation and the associated hybrid public-private models of food safety governance where both regulators and private organizations play a vital role in assuring public health.
Outcomes reported
Pulse Check candidate — DOI captured from a claim that was Outside Catalogue. Context: … he EU ethylene oxide incident. Foods, 11(2), 204. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11020204 43 https://www.globalgap.org 44 https://redtractor.org.uk/assurance/ 45 https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/bu …
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.