Food News

Alert notices from RASFF concerning food (except for fruit & vegetables - see special section)

Alarm

In this section we repeated alert notices from the RASFF system of the European commission issued in the previous month, which we thought to be noteworthy and of interest to our clients. 

 

 

We will refrain from repeating the numerous reports on all mycotoxin and salmonella limit violations, but show only a selection to pinpoint the risks. However, we like to put your attention to the fact that in numerous cases missing allergen information was categorized as serious and caused border rejections too.

You can analyze the RASFF-site conveniently by yourself using several filter options and limit the notification to those which are of direct interest to your business.  

 

 

Chemical Hazards:

Product

Origin

3-MCPD

in Praise Zomi Palmoil 4466 µg/kg (MRL: 2500 µg/kg)

Ghana

Acrylamide

in biscuits 766 µg/kg (MRL 350 µg/kg)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Cyanide

in apricot kernels

unknown

in apricot kernels 2359 mg/kg (MRL 20 mg/kg)

Turkey

Ergot alkaloids

in rye flour

France

Erucic acid

in mustard oil 539.6 g/kg

Bangladesh

Ethylene oxide /
2-chlorethanol:

2-chloroethanol in instant noodles (2)

Vietnam & Thailand

2-Chloroethanol in white organic quinoa

India

2-chloroethanol 0,29 mg/kg in sesame seeds

India

2-Chloroethanol in Bacopa Monnieri extract, used in food supplement from Germany

India

Ethylene oxide 0,051 mg/kg in crushed chilli

India

Ethylene oxide in boswellia serrata extract

India

Ethylene oxide 0,55 mg/kg (MRL 0,1 mg/kg) in pepper

China

ethylene oxide in spice mix

Hong Kong

ethylene oxide in food supplement

France

Heavy and toxic metals

Lead in baby food

Sweden

Cadmium in cacao

USA

Mercury in swordfish (2)

Spain

Histamine

Sardine fillets 1120 mg/kg (MRL100 mg/kg)

France

Morphine

in blue poppy 121,56 mg/kg (MRL 20 mg/kg)

Turkey

Mycotoxins

Ochratoxin A 16,5 µg/kg (MRL 3 µg/kg) in basmati rice

India via UK

Ochratoxin A (6.3 µg/kg) in East End Basmati Rice

India

Aflatoxin B1 8,2 µg/kg (MRL 2 µg/kg) in husked brown rice

Pakistan

Aflatoxin B1 4,7 µg/kg, 11 µg/kg, 6,8 µg/kg & 7,1 µg/kg (MRL 2 µg/kg) in super basmati brown rice (4)

Pakistan

Aflatoxins 18 µg/kg and 53 µg/kg (MRL 4µg/kg) an in super basmati brown rice (husked rice) (3)

Pakistan

Aflatoxin B1 in organic cornflakes made from corn grits from Italy

Germany

Aflatoxins in seasoning mixtures (2)

Pakistan

PAH

Benzo(a)pyrene 16,4 µg/kg (MRL 10 µg/kg) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) 89,1 µg/kg (MRL 50 µg/kg) in organic paprika powder

Spain

Pesticides

Unauthorised substance chlorpyrifos 0,13 mg/kg (MRL 0,01 mg/kg) in celery leaves (dried)

 

Belgium

Chlorpyrifos-methyl 0,061 mg/kg 8MRL 0,01 mg/kg) in pistachios

unknown

Chlorpyrifos 0,028 mg/kg (MRL 0,01 mg/kg) in organic cocoa beans

Ecuador via Switzerland

Chlorpyrifos 0,2 mg/kg (MRL 0,01 mg/kg), Buprofezin (0,1 mg/kg (MRL 0,01 mg/kg), unauthorised substance Iprovalicarb 0,29 mg/kg (MRL 0,01 mg/kg) and unauthorised substance Fipronil 0,015 mg/kg (MRL 0,005 mg/kg) in coriander

Cambodia

Anthraquinone 0,043 mg/kg & 0,16 mg/kg (MRL 0,02 mg/kg) in mate tea (2)

South America

5 different pesticide residues in chilli powder

India

Pesticides in cumin (3)

India &UK

Chlorpyrifos, methomyl in marjoram

Egypt

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids

in ground cumin >2500 µg/kg and in dried oregano 2154 µg/kg and 2544,1 µg/kg (MRL 400 µg/kg)

Turkey

Sudan dyes and other unauthorized colorants

Sudan red IV in palm oil

Ghana

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

in CBD oil

Czech Republic

Tropanalkaloids

in savory (DE: Bohnenkraut) Atropin und Scopolamin 106 µg/kg

Austria

 

 

 

Microbiological Hazards

Product

Origin

Cronobacter

in initial infant milk formula

Czech Republic

Listeria

in taleggio cheese

Italy

in mozzarella cheese

Poland

in cheese (2)

Belgium and Czech Republic

In goat raw milk cheese (3800 cfu/g) !

France

in smoked salmon

Great Britain

in Belgian Brussels waffles

Belgium

in sushi

Poland

on mortadella (1300 cfu/g) !

Italy

In black pepper (numerous cases)

Brazil

Salmonella

in gelatine sheets

Germany

in chocolate bar

Switzerland

in sesame seeds (4)

India, Uganda & Nigeria

in whole egg powder (2)

Bulgaria

In paprika powder

China

in organic salt and pepper mix (!)

Denmark

Vibrio cholera

in prawns

Ecuador

VTEC/STEC

Shigatoxin-producing escherichia coli (STEC) in chilled beef

Argentina

Norovirus*

in oysters (4)

France & Netherlands

 

 

 

Other Hazards

Origin

Presence of peanut protein in liquid soy lecithin

India

too high amount of caffeine in food supplement
Caffeine content of a daily intake, according to the label, is up to 3x300 mg, - this is higher than 80 mg/day (maximum permitted level in Belgium) - this is higher than 200 mg/day (safe maximum suggested by High Health Council in Belgium) - this is higher than 180 mg/day (safe upper limit EFSA of 3 mg/kg bw/d for 60 kg person). It is also possible that, in addition to this food supplement, other products containing caffeine may also be consumed on the same day.

Netherlands

 

 

 

YOUR PLUS: *Our laboratory AGROLAB Blasy-Busse is allowed to work with pathogenic food viruses and offers also analysis for Norovirus.

 

 

 

 

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger