ethylen oxide

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 10:25 03.04.2000 -0500, you wrote:
>
>If the gas is ethylene oxide, EO, chlorinated two-carbon compounds are 
>formed which are carcinogenic/mutagenic. (I am - in collaboration with a few 
>other scientists - studying the DNA damaging capacity of some of these small 
>organic chemicals BTW (EO, propylene oxide and epichlorohydrine) - the 
>bottom line for me is - "no ethylene oxide treatment of my foods").
>

The use of ethylene oxide and organic bromides for treatment of spices is
since long forbidden in Europe. This is actually the reason why other means
of bacterial decontamination had to be found, of which irradiation is the
only one practicable. Other attempts like using steam (!) have failed,
because you can imagine, what the taste of such spices will be after
treatment!

Franz


Franz Schoenhofer
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at


Office:
Hofrat Dr. Franz Schoenhofer
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Resources
Radiation Protection Department
Radetzkystr. 2
A-1031 Vienna
AUSTRIA

phone: -43-1-71172-4458
fax: -43-1-7122331

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