Residue-Free Pest Control – Beyond Tea & Herbs
Ensuring pest-free natural products is a key quality requirement — especially for goods produced under organic standards. At the same time, pest control in food products requires careful handling: only methods that comply with the EU Organic Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/848) and leave no residues may be used.
CO₂ pressure disinfestation is one such method — certified, organic-compliant, and toxicologically safe. Today, its application extends far beyond tea or tea-like products. Whether herbs, spices, cereals, nuts, or dried fruits, the method is suitable for a wide range of sensitive raw materials that need to be freed from pests safely and efficiently without chemical residues.
In principle, the treatment can also be applied to non-food products. Suitability must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Beyond pest control, CO₂ pressure disinfestation can also contribute to the neutralisation of certain contaminants and to sustainable quality assurance — all while remaining residue-free and particularly gentle on the product.
Our Solution
With CO₂ pressure disinfestation, Hälssen & Lyon offers a certified and particularly gentle process that has proven its effectiveness in the treatment of sensitive raw materials for many years.
In our PEX system (Pressure Expansion), packed or palletised goods are treated with CO₂ under high pressure (30 bar) for a period of 1.5 to 4 hours. The rapid pressure release eliminates all developmental stages of storage pests — including eggs and larvae — through oxygen displacement, a key component of the process. Throughout the treatment, product quality remains fully preserved.