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 3-MCPD 4.900 µg/kg (2.600 µg/kg) and glycidyl-esters 3.900 µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg) in Crystal Ghee Egypt
3-MCPD-ester 4000 µg/kg & Glycidyl esters 1.790 µg/kg in curry leaves biscuits Sri Lanka
Acrylamide 234,9 µg/kg (150 µg/kg) in cereal based baby food Belgium
5.000 µg/kg (700 µg/kg) in vegetable chips  Netherlands
Biogenic amines Histamin 298,2 µg/kg (100 µg/kg) in chilled tuna fillet Sri Lanka
Histamin 569,6 µg/kg (100 µg/kg) in mackerel fillet Netherlands
Biotoxins Elevated levels of okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin (DSP) 211 µg/kg (160 µg/kg) in coquinas Portugal
Ethylene oxide (EO) /
2-chlorethanol (2-CE) +)		 EO 0,1 mg/kg  (0,1 mg/kg) in black beans Madagascar
EO 0,58 mg/kg (!) (0,02 mg/kg) in bagels USA, via France
EO 0,63 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in Masala powder India
EO 6,1 mg/kg (!!) (0,02 mg/kg) in paprika powder Turkey
2-CE 1,5 mg/kg (!!) (0,01 mg/kg) in spice mix  India
EO 0,1 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in puffed rice India
Heavy and toxic metals Lead 0,30 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg)  in boar meat Spain
Lead 1,7 mg/kg in ground cloves Madagascar
Lead 0,35 mg/kg (0,2 mg/kg)  in sheep liver UK, via Germany
Mercury 1,3 mg/kg  & 1,7 mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in tuna (2) Spain (2)
Mercury 2 mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in tuna loin Ecuador
Mercury 0,74 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in salt Belgium
Mercury 1,5; 2,2 mg/kg  & 2,3 mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in sword fish (3) Spain (3)
Iodine in dehydrated algae 174.484,5 µg/100g (!!!)  (600 µg/day) China , via Italy
24.792 µg/100g  (!!!) & 530.000 µg/kg  (!!!) (200 µg/day) in dried seaweed   South Korea, via Netherlands (2)
Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH/MOAH) MOAH (Sum) C10-C50 1,5 mg/kg MOSH/POSH (Sum) C10-C50 24,9 mg/kg  and mercury 0,03 mg/kg (0,02 mg/kg) in ground cinnamon Vietnam , via Netherlands & Spain
MOAH (C10-50): 20,2 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in ground pepper Belgium
MOAH (C10-50): 2,17 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in rice Pakistan
MOSH 270 mg/kg (30 mg/kg) in candy Netherlands
Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1 12,9; 11,5 &19,2 µg/kg (6 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 24,7 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs (3) Turkey (3)
Aflatoxins (total) 500,0 µg/kg (!) (10 µg/kg) in dried figs Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 13 & 21 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 26 µg/kg & 34 µg/kg (5 µg/kg)  in pistachios USA
Aflatoxin B1 44 µg/kg (!) (2 µg/kg) and Aflatoxin (total) 49 µg/kg (!) (4 µg/kg) in corn flour Côte d'Ivoire, via France
Ochratoxin A 19,3; 22; 42 & 49,6 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs (4) Turkey (4)
Ochratoxin A 140 µg/kg (!) (8 µg/kg)  in organic figs Spain
Ochratoxin A 7,7 µg/kg (3 µg/kg) in maize flour Portugal
Pesticides Chlorpyrifos +) 0,032 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Indoxacarb 0,077 mg/kg (0,02 mg/kg) in peanuts Cameroon
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,015 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in coffee Denmark
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,036 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in cow peas Madagascar
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,04 & /0,02 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  in sesame seeds Nicaragua
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,024 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  in pepper (spice) Italy
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,038 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  in turmeric powder Syria
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,024 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  in Basmati rice Pakistan
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,023 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Tricyclazole +) 0,08 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in Basmati rice Pakistan
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,033; 0,057; 0,062  & 0,060 µg/kg  (0,01 mg/kg)  in rice (3) Pakistan (3), India (1)
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,89 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) & Profenofos 0,027 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in rice Pakistan
Imidacloprid 0,021 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Thiamethoxam 0.084 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Tricyclazole +) 0,074 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in rice India
Thiamethoxam 0,12 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) & Tricyclazole +) 0,36 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in rice India
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,067 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg, Imidacloprid 0,087 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg & Tebuconazole 0,074 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  in dried Chrysanthemum herbal infusion China
Acetamiprid 0,83 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos +) 0,24 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg,  Clothianidin 0,1 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Cypermethrin 0,18 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg), Emamectin 0,035 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Fipronil +) 0,012 mg/kg (0,005 mg/kg), Imidacloprid 0,2 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg, Lambda-Cyhalothrin 0,25 mg/kg  (!) (0,01 mg/kg) & Thiamethoxam 0,2 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) & Tolfenpyrad 0,034 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  in Jasmin herbal infusion China
Carbendazim +) 2,3 mg/kg (!) (0,1 mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos +) 0,08 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Fenpropathrin 0,2 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) Thiophanate-methyl 0,12 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in raisins Iran
Bifenthrin 0,43 mg/kg (!) (0,02 mg/kg), Bromopropylate 6,6 mg/kg (!!!) (0,02 mg/kg), Chlorfenapyr +) 11 mg/kg (!!!) (0,02 mg/kg), Chlorthalonil 10 mg/kg (!!!) (0,02 mg/kg), Cyflumetofen 0,41 mg/kg (!) (0,02 mg/kg), Dinotefuran +) 2,3 mg/kg (!!) (0,02 mg/kg) & Imidacloprid 1,7 (!) (0,05 mg/kg) in oregano Israel
Acetamiprid 0,64 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Carbendazim +) 0,39 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos +) 0,22 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Clothianidin 0,26 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Cyfluthrin 0,11 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Fipronil +) 0,05 mg/kg (!) (0,005 mg/kg), Imidacloprid 0,30 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Kresoxim-methyl 0,18 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Malathion 0,97 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) Thiamethoxam 0,26 mg/kg  (0,05 mg/kg)  in cumin seeds  India
Acetamiprid 0,94 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Chlorpyriphos +) 0,32 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Clothianidin 0,13 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Dithiocarbamate 2,7 mg/kg (!) (0,1 mg/kg) & Tricyclazole +) 0,23 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) and pyrrolizidine alkaloids 711 µg/kg (400 µg/kg)  in cumin powder Turkey
Acetamiprid 0,41 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Carbendazim 0,27 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg), Chlorpyriphos +) 0,31 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Clothianidin 0,54 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Hexaconazole +) 0,23 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Imidacloprid 0,21 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) and Thiamethoxam 0,39 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in cumin powder India
Azoxystrobin 0,082 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Carbendazim +) 4,9 mg/kg (!!) (0,01 mg/kg),  Cyflufenamid 0,029 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Lambda-Cyhalothrin 1,3 (!!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Dimetomorph 0,65 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Metalaxyl 0,029 mg/kg  (0,01 mg/kg) Pyrimethanil 0,043 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  in bottled grape leaves  Egypt
Captan 3,6 mg/kg (!!) (0,03 mg/kg), Cypermethrin 3,8 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Hexythiazox 0,11 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg), Metalaxyl 0,045 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Metrafenone 0,25 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in cooked and salted vine leaves Turkey
Captan 4,4 mg/kg (!!) (0,03 mg/kg)  in vine leaves in brine  Turkey
Chlorate +) 0,14 mg/kg  (0,05 mg/kg)  in chicken/poultry meat China, via Netherlands
PFOS PFOS 5 µg/kg (!) (0,3 µg/kg) in bovine meat Belgium
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) PAH (sum) 140 µg/kg (50 µg/kg) , Benzo(a)pyren 28 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in spice mix China
PAH (sum) 116 µg/kg (!) & 685 µg/kg (!) (12 µg/kg) , Benzo(a)pyren 14,9 µg/kg & 124 µg/kg (!) (2 µg/kg) in smoked fish Ghana, via Belgium
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 5.170 µg/kg (!) (200 µg/kg)) and salmonella in 125 g in sliced blackberry leaves  Albania
>8.550 µg/kg (!) (400 µg/kg) in mint tea (with raw materials from Serbia) Croatia
6.080 µg/kg (!) (400 µg/kg) in ground cumin  Turkey
752 µg/kg (400 µg/kg) in ground cumin  Belgium
49.432,8 µg/kg (!!) (1000 µg/kg) in oregano Jordan
21.000 µg/kg (!), 7.941 µg/kg & 1245 µg/kg  (1000 µg/kg) in oregano (3) Turkey (3)
Sudan dyes and other forbidden dyes +) Sudan IV 46,7 mg/kg in palm oil Ghana
Titanium dioxide (E171) in gummies Spain
Tetrahydrocannbinol (THC) +) and  Cannabidiol CBD +) Unauthorised novel food CBD for sale on web shop from France France
High content (25 mg/piece) of hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) in HHC gummies  Netherlands
Tropanalkaloids Datura  in organic corn flour: Atropin 57,2 µg/kg & Scopolamine 5,3 µg/kg France
Atropin 376 µg/kg & Scopolamine 27,8 µg/kg in dried whole raspberry leaves Albania
Vet. drug residues Diclofenac +) 7,1 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in veal meat Netherlands
Tetracycline 267 µg/kg (120 µg/kg in prawns Vietnam  
Meloxicam 152 µg/kg (20 µg/kg) in beef meat Netherlands

+) application is prohibited

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

 

Microbiological Hazards Product Origin
Campylobacter  present in 10g in oysters Netherlands
Cronobacterm spp. Cronobacter sakazakii in infant formula Germyn
 in powder rice cream Italy
E.coli STEC/VTEC E.Coli STEC in raw milk cheese France
Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in goat cheese France, via Germany
Listeria monocytogenes in cooked frozen shrimps India, via France
on ravioli with goat's cheese and honey Italy
in soft raw milk goat cheese France
in goat's cheese France
in cheese France
in smoked ham France
in smoked salmon France
in sausage Poland
Norovirus in shellfish Netherlands
in mytilus galloprovincialis (purified in Italy) Spain
in oysters France
Salmonella in organic dried goji berries China
in fried samosa chicken France
in Feta cheese Greece
in sesame seeds Nigeria (2)
Staphylococci on cheese France
Vibrio spp. Vibrio vulnificus in raw shrimp tails India, via France
in raw frozen shrimps India 

 

 

Other Hazards Origin
Detection of irradiation in dried goji berries  China
Migration of Bis(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DOTP) 150 mg/kg (60 mg/kg) in canned vegetable salads  Armenia
Presence of insects in rice Pakistan
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) detected in turkeys Lithuania
Presence of insect infestations in pomegranate multigrain bars  Italy
Trichinella in wild boar Italy
Genetically modified rice in rice noodles (2) Vietnam (2)

 

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger