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
3-MCPD & Glycidylesters Glycidyl esters 1680 µg/kg (1000 µg/kg) in chilli and soybean oil packed in the Netherlands China
Glycidyl fatty acid esters 2500 µg/kg (1000 µg/kg) in corn oil  Turkey
Acrylamide 686 µg/kg (350 µg/kg) in cookies Ukraine
Cyanides 284 mg/kg (150 mg/kg) in line seed Egypt
Ethylene oxide (EO) /
2-chlorethanol (2-CE) +)		 EO 0,28 mg/kg  (0,1 mg/kg) in cumin seeds India
EO 0,23 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in Garam masala India
Heavy and toxic metals Cadmium 0,99 mg/kg (0,6 mg/kg) and benzo(a)pyrene 6,8 µg/kg (5 µg/kg)  in cocoa powder Italy
Mercury 2,6 mg/kg dry matter (dm) (!) (0,1 mg/kg dm) and lead 4,1 mg/kg dm (3 mg/kg dm) in food supplement India
Morphine 129 mg/kg (20 mg/kg) in poppy seeds  Czech Republic
22 mg/kg (20 mg/kg) in poppy seeds  Slovakia
Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1 50,8 µg/kg, 38,8 µg/kg, 23,3 µg/kg & 33,7 µg/kg (6 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 57,2 µg/kg, 43,1 µg/kg, 38,3 µg/kg, 37,2 µg/kg, 16 µg/kg  & 7,8 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs (5) Turkey (5)
Aflatoxins (total) 21,0 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs Turkey
Aflatoxins (total) 21,7 µg/kg & 18,4 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried organic figs Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 32,7 µg/kg & 38,4 µg/kg (6 µg/kg) and Aflatoxin (total) 55,9, µg/kg & 65,2 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in fig date orange chocolate cake Spain
Ochratoxin A 45,2 µg/kg, 22,4 µg/kg & 28 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs (3) Turkey (3)
Ochratoxin A 76 µg/kg (15 µg/kg)  in spices Turkey
Ochratoxin A 417 µg/kg (!) (20 µg/kg) in dried paprika Thailand
Ochratoxin A 23,7 µg/kg (20 µg/kg) in Cayenne pepper Turkey
Pesticides Chlorpyrifos +) 0,030 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in black eyed beans  Madagascar
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,020 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Imidacloprid 0,19 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in coriander seeds India
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,19 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg)  in cumin seeds Turkey
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,27 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg)  in turmeric powder India
Bromide 140 mg/kg (50 mg/kg) in rice for porridge unknown, notified by Finland
Acetamiprid 0,11 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) and Chlorpyrifos +) 0,059 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg  in green tea China   
Acetamiprid 0,46 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Carbendazim +) 0,35 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos +) 0,16 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Clotianidin 0,3 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Imidacloprid 0,25 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Picoxystrobin +) 0,11 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Thiamethoxam 0,77 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg) and Tricyclazole +) 0,16 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg) in cumin seeds  India
Acetamiprid 0,19 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos +) 0,33 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Clotianidin 1,4 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Imidacloprid 0,24 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) and Thiamethoxam 1,6 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg) in cumin seeds  India
Acetamiprid 0,60 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Carbendazim +) 0,68 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos +) 0,26 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Clotianidin 0,78 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Dinotefuran 0,042 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Imidacloprid 0,44 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Kresoxim-methyl 0,12 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Metalaxyl 0,18 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) Picoxystrobin +) 0,13 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Thiamethoxam 0,77 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg) and Propiconazole 0,24 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in cumin seeds  India
Acetamiprid 1,0 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Carbendazim +) 0,43 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg), Carbofuran 0,14 mg/k (0,05 mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos +) 0,31 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Cypermethrin 0,23 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg), Thiamethoxam 0,27 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg) and Tricyclazole +) 0,21 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in cumin Turkey
Acetamiprid 1,3 mg/kg (!!!) (0,01 mg/kg), Benomyl/Carbendazim 0,71 mg/kg (!!) (0,01 mg/kg) Boscalid 0,05 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Carbendazim +) 0,71 mg/kg (!!) (0,01 mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos +) >0,01 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Cyflufenamid 0,032 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Lambda-Cyhalothrin 0,40 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Difenoconazole 0,16 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Diniconazole 0,14 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) & Lufenuron 0,35 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg)  in pickled grape leaves  Egypt
Carbendazim 0,039 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos +) 0,094 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Tricyclazole +) 0,048 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kgt) in rice Bangladesh
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,33 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg) a in dried and ground spearmint Turkey
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,20 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) & Propiconazole 0,15 mg/kg (0,02 mg/kg) in dried parsley Egypt
Chlorate +) 1,22 mg/kg (!), 1,08 mg/kg (!), 0,84, mg/kg (!), 0,73 mg/kg (!), 0,41 mg/kg, 0,34 mg/kg, 0,21 mg/kg, 0,18 mg/kg, 0,14 mg/kg, 0,13 mg/kg, 0,11 mg/kg, 0,1 mg/kg, 0,1 mg/kg  (0,05 mg/kg)  in chicken/poultry meat (13) via Netherlands China (13) (!)
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 553 µg/kg (400 µg/kg)) in grinded chives  Netherlands
1.070 µg/kg (500 µg/kg) in pollen  Spain
2.790 µg/kg in chili powder India
23.350 µg/kg (!!)  & 3.626,4 µg/kg (1000 µg/kg) in dried oregano leaves (2) Greece (2)
Sudan dyes and other forbidden dyes +) Colour E 122 - Azorubine 11,2 mg/kg in pickled turnips  Egypt
Sulfite /SO2 Sulphites 1.715 mg/kg (500 mg/kg) & E210 Benzoic acid +) 523,4 mg/kg in dried mangos  Philippines via UK
Tetrahydrocannbinol (THC) +) and  Cannabidiol CBD +) CBD gummies containing Delta 9 THC 118.68 mg/kg  France
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and unauthorized novel food ingredient cannabidiol (CBD) in CBD oil  Switzerland

  

+) application is prohibited

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

 

Microbiological Hazards Product Origin
E.coli in mussels 790 -1400  MPN/100g (700 MPN/100g) Spain
E.coli STEC/VTEC Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in goat cheese salad  Netherlands
Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in goat cheese France
Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) in raw salami with deer meat Italy
Possible presence of Escherichia coli (STEC) in cheese  France
Listeria monocytogenes  in raw goat's milk cheeses France
in dried sausage (2) Italy (1), Spain (1)
Norovirus Foodborne outbreak in Sweden suspected to be caused by norovirus in oysters France
in oysters France
Salmonella in black pepper Brazil
in mussels from Ireland Netherlands
in dried parsley leaves Poland
in tahini Turkey
in sesame seeds Uganda

 

Other Hazards Origin
Allergen: Undeclared lactose 812 mg/kg (100 mg/kg)  in lactose free low fat yogurt Netherlands
Allergen: Shellfish and fish allergens not declared on the label in the food supplement Italy
Allergen: sulphite  634,2, mg/kg (!!) (10 mg/kg) not declared on shrimps India
Allergen: Presence of mustard 7,79 mg/kg in a cheese spread Czech Republic

 

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger