## 5 Results and Discussion  
Ethylene oxide is a dangerous chemical sterilant that poses a threat due to its high toxicity to human health as a result of occupational exposure to its impact, as well as high fire and explosion hazards (2.4% by volume). Sterilization with this agent is carried out at normal temperature and pressure, which is why it is classified as a cold sterilization technique due to its bactericidal effect and wide penetration of the materials being sterilized. In the USA, it is used as a pesticide and sterilizing agent in the food industry [5]. European Union law requires food monitoring based on compliance with regulations and thus sets the maximum permissible limits for the content of plant protection products that may have a negative impact on health. This is also the case with ethylene oxide content. Reports published in the RASFF database of exceedances of ethylene oxide levels in sesame seeds resulted in increased control of this parameter [1; 12]. Figure 8: Chromatogram of 2-chloroethanole in sesame seeds matrix (sample: MS31A (black), MS32B (red), MS33C (blue), MS34D (green), MS35E (pink)). The scope of the integration is contained in the interval 4.74 to 4.93. Retention time of ethylene oxide is 4.862 min \(\pm\) 0.1 min. The X-axis is the total ion current (TIC), the Y-axis is the retention time of the compound. Figure 9: Final extracts: 1. sesame seeds; 2. guar gum; 3. turmeric; 4. a mixture of spices. One of the first methods developed for the determination of ethylene oxide was presented by [PERSON], which involved the reaction of converting 2-chloroethanol to ethylene oxide using sodium hydroxide, and its conversion to ethylene iodohydrin (EIH) in the presence of dilute sulfuric acid and sodium iodide [13]. Chromatographic analysis of ethylene oxide in food requires many steps to prevent losses of this compound in the analyzed sample due to its high volatility at room temperature. Analysis of ethylene oxide at a trace level requires a special approach and adaptation to the equipment resources of laboratories, which is why laboratories have developed a variety of methods for determining the full definition of ethylene oxide. [PERSON] et al., 2021 presented a comparison of the results of samples run by five different laboratories that used different analytical procedures. None of the laboratories detected ethylene oxide in the six samples analyzed, while only 2-chloroethanol was detected during the analyses of the samples, ranging from 0.18 to 49.0 mg/kg [14]. [PERSON] et al., developed two SPME-GC/MS analysis methods in a low-viscosity hydroxypropyl methylcellulose that can be used as a food protection film. The range of the calibration curves for ethylene oxide was 10-100 mg/kg, and for 2-chloroethanol it was 20-120 mg/kg. The SPME fiber (85 mm Carboxen/PDMS) was used for this analysis. The characteristic of this method is that it avoids falsification of the ethylene oxide result from acetaldehyde. These methods achieve LODs of \(<\)7.0 mg/kg and \(<\)20.0 mg/kg [15]. Our research has shown that the critical parameter during the analysis is to keep the temperature \(<\)10 \({}^{\circ}\)C. The effectiveness of the method has a large impact on the sample weight (4 g) and its homogeneity obtained as a result of the sample preparation procedure, such as crushing and grinding. During the development of the procedure, it was observed that the process of soaking in the water had a negative impact on the recovery at the lowest concentration level, and therefore this activity was abandoned. The developed process of initial sample preparation will result in obtaining sample homogeneity and recoveries in the range of 70-120% according to the SANTE 11312/2021 document. A similar sample preparation process was presented in the study by [PERSON] et al. The authors also noted the above regularities, including the method of homogenization, an extraction temperature of \(<\)10 \({}^{\circ}\)C, and a 4g sample weight using 10 mL of ACN.