The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed phasing out ethylene oxide (EtO) use on spices and subsequently canceling the tolerances for spices, resulting in a potential future ban of imported spices with EtO residues in the U.S. In this session provided at the 2023 Regulatory Workshop held in Washington DC, panelists from agencies and academia discussed updates on EPA’s proposed ETO actions and the safety of spices. EPA officials shared an update on their actions, and panelists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and non-governmental and academic institutions discussed EPA’s proposals and the potential impact on the safety of spices. This was the presentation provided by Linda Arrington, EPA.

This study summarizes published scientific evidence of inactivation of microorganisms in spices by ionizing radiation. It is an extensive review of the scientific literature on the irradiation inactivation of gram negative microorganisms in dried spices and herbs.