Food News

Alert notices from RASFF concerning food (except 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 analyse the RASFF-site conveniently by yourself using several filter options and limit the notification to those which are of direct interest to your business. Link: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/search

 

Chemical Hazards: Product Origin
Acrylamide 870 µg/kg (750 µg/kg) in potatoe chips Ukraine
Antibiotics, vet. Drug residues Doxycycline > 500 mg/kg (100 mg/kg) in Vannamei shrimp Vietnam
Biogenic amines Exceeded histamine content 1988,7 mg/kg (!)(200 mg/kg) in tuna steaks Sri Lanka, via Netherlands
Histamine 1529,6 mg/kg (200 mg/kg) in mackerel fillets Netherlands
Histamine 968 & 1021 mg/kg (200 mg/kg) in canned anchovies Spain
Eruic acid in mustard oil Bangladesh, via Netherlands
Ethylene oxide (EO) / 2-chlorethanol (2-CE) +) EO 0,24 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in spice mix Lebanon
EO 0,36 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in Sumak (spice) Turkey
EO 2,8 mg/kg (!) (0,1 mg/kg)in seasoning mix Pakistan
2-CE 0,098 mg/kg in spice mixture Pakistan
EO 3,1 mg/kg(!) & 2-CE 2,1 mg/kg (!)(0,1 mg/kg) in spice mix (2) India (2), widely distributed in EU
Glycidylesters 1,19 mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in refined palm oil Germany
Heavy and toxic metals Cadmium 1,6 mg/kg (0,6 mg)kg) above the limits in organic cocoa powder Italy
Mercury 1,7 mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in frozen swordfish with raw material from France Italy / France
Mercury 1,6 mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in frozen swordfish Spain
Cadmium 0,22 mg/kg (0,15 mg/kg) in rice Italy
Hydrocyanic acid (prussic acid), cyanides 41 mg/kg & 38,3 mg/kg (20 mg/kg) in apricot kernels Turkey (2)
Mineral oil components (MOSH, MOAH)  in rice oil Thailand
Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1 25,4 µg/kg (!) (2 µg/kg) in dates Tunisia
Aflatoxin B1 29,8 µg/kg (!) (2 µg/kg), aflatoxins (total) 65,1 µg/kg (!) (4 µg/kg) in peanut kernels Bolivia, notified by Germany
Aflatoxin B1 4,3 & 27 µg/kg (!) (2 µg/kg) Aflatoxins (total) 30 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts Egypt
Aflatoxin B1 14,6 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) Aflatoxins (total) 16 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts Egypt
Aflatoxin B1 12 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) Aflatoxins (total) 13 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in peanuts in shells Egypt
Aflatoxin B1 27 (!) & 4,3 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) Aflatoxins (total) 30 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts Egypt
Aflatoxin B1 229 µg/kg (!) & 9,9 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) Aflatoxins (total) 253 µg/kg (!) & 10,8 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios originating from USA (2) distributed by Turkey (1),  notified by Italy (1)
Aflatoxin B1 13 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in chili powder India
Aflatoxins (total) 17 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs lerida Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 23,4 µg/kg (6 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 57 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 14,1 µg/kg (2 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 15,3 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in sesame seeds Pakistan
Ochratoxin A 20 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs Turkey
Ochratoxin A 15 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in organic raisins Turkey
Ochratoxin A 105,5 µg/kg (!) (5 µg/kg) in sunflower seeds Moldavia
Ochratoxin A 17 & 15 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in (organic) sultanas Uzbekistan via Turkey (2)
Ochratoxin A 43,6, 41 & 11 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in raisins Uzbekistan via Lithuania
Nitrofuranes Furazolidone (AOZ) >0,5 µg/kg (0,5 µg/kg) in shrimps India
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) PAH (sum) 71,7 µg mg/kg in cinnamon (Ceylon) Germany
Benzo[a]pyrene 2,99 µg/kg in sunflower oil Turkey
Pesticides Chlorpyrifos +) 0,29 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg ) in fenugreek leaves Pakistan, via Netherlands
Acetamiprid 0,87 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg); Benomyl/Carbenazim 0,61 mg/kg (0,1mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos +) 0,071 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Chlothianidin 0,2 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) Thiamethoxam 0,19 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Thiophanate-methyl 0,29 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg); Tricyclazole +) 0,61 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg) in cumin Russia, notified by Germany; widely distributed (!)
Dinotefuran +) 0,12 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) Permethrin 0,51 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in tea Taiwan
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,049 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), lambda-Cyhalothrin 0,043mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Tolfenpyrad 0,36 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in black tea Taiwan, notified by Poland
Propamocarb 0,062 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Propargite +) 0,034 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in raisins India
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,035 mg/kg (0,056 mg/kg), Fenpropathrin 0,21 mg/kg (0,047 mg/kg) and Thiophanate-methyl 9,12 mg/kg (!!!)(0,025 mg/kg) in raisins unknown via Belgium
Dithiocarbamates 0,22 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in grape leaves in brine Turkey
Dithiocarbamates 0,16 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) & Lambda-Cyhalothrin 0,024 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in vine leaves Turkey

Aceatmiprid 1,1 mg/kg (!!!) (0,01 mg/kg) Azoxystrobin 2,7 mg/kg (!!!) (0,01);
Boscalid 0,76 mg/kg (!!) (0,01);
Carbendazim +) 3,8 mg/kg (!!!) (0,01); Chlorpyrifos +) 0,023 mg/kg (0,01); Difenconazole 1,7 mg/kg (!) (0,05); Imidacloprid +) 1,5 mg/kg (!!!) (0,01); Lufenuron +) 0,46 mg/kg (!) (0,01); Propiconazole 0,17 mg/kg (!) (0,01); Pyrimethanil 0,038 mg/kg (0,01);
Spirotetramat 0,042 mg/kg (0,01); Tebuconazole 1,5 mg/kg (!!) (0,02) 
in pickled vine leaves

(Personal comment: Unbelievable !)

 Egypt (!!!)
Chlorpyrifos +) 1,5 & 3,6 mg/kg (!!!) (0,01 mg/kg ) in flour processed in various bakery products in Austria with raw materials from CZ Czech Rebublic
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,008 mg/kg (0,0035 mg/kg ) in wheat flour type 650 Poland
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,009 mg/kg (0,003 mg/kg) in unrefined sunflower oil Ukraine
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,015 mg/kg (0,004 mg/kg) in soybean oil Ukraine
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,16 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg ) in dried mint Turkey
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,1 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg ) in split red lentils Afghanistan
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,08 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg ) in coriander seeds India
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,013 mg/kg (0,004 mg/kg ) in unrefined soya oil Ukraine, notified by Poland
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,029 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg ) in wheat Hungary
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,022 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg ) in wheat Slovakia
Acetamiprid 0,071 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Chlorpyrifos +) 0,021 (0,01 mg/kg ) in rice Pakistan
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,19 (!), 0,025 & 0,022 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg ) in rice (3) Pakistan (3)
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,16 (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in basmati rice India
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 13.600 µg/kg (!) & 2.259 µg/kg (400 µg/kg) in cumin (2) Turkey (2)
1.266,4 µg/kg in oregano powder Turkey
Sulfites (SO2) 32 mg/kg (10 mg/kg) in coconut blossom sugar France
Tropane alkaoids 107, 84 & 23,6 µg/kg in teff flour Sweden
Atropin 1.001 µg/kg (!!!) and Scoplamin 1.086 µg/kg (!!!) in dried savory (Bohnenkraut getrocknet) Germany
Increased content of atropine and scopolamine in gluten-free chocolate cookies made with teff flour France (2)

 

  

+) application is prohibited

MRL exceeded: (!) ≥10 times, (!!) ≥50 times, (!!!) ≥ 100 times

 

Microbiological Hazards Product Origin
E.coli EHEC/EPEC/STEC/VTEC Shigatoxine-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in sheep cheese Romania
Listeria monocytogenes in meatballs in tomato sauce Belgium
in dry sausage France
in raw sausage Slovakia,
notified by Austria
in raw milk goat cheese France
on Saint Nectaire cheese France
in goat cheese Slovenia
in "Vitello tonnato" veal with tuna sauce - gastronomic preparation Italy
Salmonella in basil processed in Germany Hungary
in cevapcici Romania,
notified by Germany
in parsley Egypt
in Kebab (poultry - beef) Poland
in cheese made with pasteurized cow and goat milk Spain
in convinience meal "Nasi goreng" Switzerland
in Pacific white shrimps, cooked, peeled Vietnam
in pumpkin seeds Togo
in sesame seeds (3) Turkey (1)
India (2)
Norovirus* Norovirus genogroup I and II in clams (Chamelea gallina) Italy
Vibrio parahaemolyticus in shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei) 

Ecuador,

notified by Poland

 

 

Other Hazards  Origin
Excessive content of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) in food supplements Germany
Risk of botulism in "nuoc nam" fish sauce due to lack of thermisation during the manufacturing process France
Presence of lupin and almond undeclared in cake mix (allergen!) Italy
Risk of overdose of nicotinic acid by consuming food supplement, manufactured with raw material from France Germany
not authorised amphetamine derivate Sibutramine 557 & 488 mg/kg (!!!) in coffee and tea products  Turkey

 

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger