Food News

Alert notices from RASFF concerning food (except for fruit & vegetable 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-& Glycidyl esters Glycidylesters 3,592 µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg) & 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD)  4.035 µg/kg (1,250 µg/kg) in snacks  Iran, via Netherlands
Glycidyl esters 3.656 µg/kg (1000 µg/kg) & 3-monochlor-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) 3.156 µg/kg (2.500 µg/kg) in Ghee Egypt
Cannabinoids (THC, CBD, HHC)+) Chocolate containing CBD, THC and HHC Germany
Ethylene oxide (EO) /
2-chlorethanol (2-CE)  (sum of 2-chloroethanol and ethylene oxide, expressed as ethylene oxide) +)		 EO 1,5 mg/kg (!) (0,1 mg/kg)  and Mercury 0,89 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in Ayurvedic food supplement India
EO 6,0 mg/kg (!) 0,1 mg/kg  & 2-CE 11 mg/kg (!!) (0,1 mg/kg) in Chicken Massala Spices India
EO 2,2 mg/kg (!) (0,1 mg/kg) in spice sauce India
EO 2,6 mg/kg (!) (0,1 mg/kg) in Barbecue sauce India
EO 2,8 mg/kg (!) (0,1 mg/kg)  in spice mixture (masala) India
Heavy and toxic metals Lead 1,3 mg/kg (!) (0,1 mg/kg) and pesticide residues of linuron 0,17 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in Lovage (Levisticum officinale) Poland
Mercury 3,4 mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in  frozen shortfin mako shark Spain, notified by Italy
Mercury 1,8 mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in tuna loin Spain, notified by Italy
Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH/MOAH) Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons 2,8 & 2,1 mg/kg (2,0 mg/kg)  in shea butter  Côte d'Ivoire 
Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1  86 (!), 81 (!), 49,  24, 19 & 18,4 µg/kg (6 µg/kg) & Aflatoxins (total) 112 (!), 173 (!), 81, 41, 30 & 23,4 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs (6) Turkey (6)
Aflatoxin B1 20 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) & Aflatoxins (total) 24 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in nutmeg India
Aflatoxin B1 12,1 µg/kg (5 µg/kg)  in chili powder  Indonesia
Aflatoxin B1 220,2 µg/kg (!!) (5 µg/kg) & Aflatoxins (total) 228,7 µg/kg (!) (10 µg/kg)  in nutmeg Indonesia
Aflatoxin B1 12,1 & 12,9 µg/kg (5 µg/kg)  in dried spices (2) India, notified by Netherlands
Aflatoxin B1 26 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) & Aflatoxins (total) 27 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried spices Pakistan, notified by France (2)
Ochratoxin A 17 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried,diced figs  Turkey
Ochratoxin A 20 & 76 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs (2) Pakistan, notified by France
Zearalenon  220  µg/kg (75 µg/kg) in pearl barley China, widely distributed
Pesticides Cypermethrin 0,92 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Nicotine +) 1,1 mg/kg (!!!) (0,01 mg/kg), Propoxur +) 0,91 mg/kg (!!!) (0,005 mg/kg)  & Tetramethrin +) 1,4 mg/kg (!!!) (0,01 mg/kg) in dried mushrooms China
Acetamiprid 0,40 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg), Bifenthrin 0,55 (!) mg/kg (0,03 mg/kg), Carbendazim +)  0,42 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg),  Chlorpyrifos +) 0,095 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Fipronil +) 0,041 mg/kg (0,005 mg/kg), Imidacloprid 0,17 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Quinalphos  0,46 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Tebuconazole 0,40 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) & Thiamethoxam 0,17 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in cardamom China
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,18 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg)  in cumin India, notified by Austria
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,04 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in dried Fenugreek leaves India
Acetamiprid 0,47 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Carbendazim +)  0,39 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg),  Chlorpyrifos +) 0,065 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) , Clothianidin 0,56 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Imidacloprid 0,15 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Thiamethoxam  0,68 mg/kg (!)  (0,05 mg/kg) & Tricylazole +)  0,37 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in ground cumin India
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,030 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Tolfenpyrad 0,52 mg/kg (!!) (0,01 mg/kg) in vegeterian instant noodle soup Vietnam
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,666 mg/kg (!!) (0,01 mg/kg) in Sichuan pepper China
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,11 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) & PAH 0,073 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in fennel seed powder China
Carbendazim 0,015 (0,01 mg/kg), Imidacloprid 0,026 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  Thiamethoxam 0,067 mg/kg  (0,01 mg/kg ) & Tricylazole +) 0,11 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in rice India
Imidacloprid 0,023 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  Thiamethoxam 0,063 mg/kg  (0,01 mg/kg ) & Tricylazole +) 0,015 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in rice India , notified by France
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,15 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in olive oil Greece
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,058 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Chlorpyrifos-methyl +) 0,017 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  in Rooibos pineapple tea India
PFAS Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) 2,8 µg/kg (0,7 µg/kg) in cooked bivalve molluscs (Paphia textile) Vietnam, notified by Italy
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 840 µg/kg (400 µg/kg) in dill Spain 
1.300 & 2000 µg/kg (400 µg/kg) & pesticide residues Chlorpyrifos +) 0,14 & 0,15  mg/kg (0,07 mg/kg), Propiconazole 1,9 & 1,8 mg/kg (!) (0,14 mg/kg)  & Kresoxim-methyl 0,17 mg/kg (0,14 mg/kg) in rubbed dill tops Poland
8.374 µg/kg (!) (400 µg/kg) in cumin Turkey
1.918 µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg) in dried oregano Turkey
Sudan dyes and other forbidden colorants +) Leucomalachite green 6,5 µg/kg in frozen yellow catfish Vietnam, via the Netherlands
Sudan I (CAS 842-07-9) 98 µg/kg (!) in AZIKA sauce Russia
Unauthorised use of Titanium dioxide in cake UK, notified by Belgium
Sulphites, SO2 Sulfur dioxide  113 mg/kg not declared in preserved aubergine sauce and sesame seeds Syria, notified by Italy
1741 mg/kg (!!) (10 mg/kg) in dried apricots Iran
Veterinary drug residues Nitrofuran metabolite 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ)  27,8 µg/kg in white tiger prawns  Vietnam, notified by Germany

+) application is prohibited

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

 

Microbiological Hazards Product Origin
Clostridium spp. Clostridia producing botulinum toxin in chilled soup with emmer and vegetables Italy
E. coli in clams Italy
EHEC, STEC Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26; O145 stx1- stx2+ eae+ in 4 out of 5 samples /25g) in chilled beef tartare Poland
in soft cheese made with raw milk (caused recall) Italy
STEC in Capreolus cuts (deer meat) (2) UK, notified by Nethelands (2)
Listeria monocytogenes in soft cheeses Germany
in sausage Spain
in smoked salmon (2) Norway (1), Spain (1)
in Atlantic salmon (char fillet) Germany
in cheese (2) France (2)
Norovirus in Ostrica concava (Crassotrea gigas) Portugal, notified by Italy
 in oysters (6) France (1), Netherlands (5)
Salmonella in ground sweet peppers Spain
in clams (raw material from Portugal) Spain
in organic basil Spain
in sesame seeds (2) Mali (1), Uganda (1)
Staphylococci Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus in raw milk cheese France
Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus in lasagna Austria
Vibrio spp Vibrio vulnificus in frozen shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei)  Ecuador

 

Other Hazards Origin
Allergens: undeclared allergen (lactose) in sauce of instant noodles China via Hong Kong
Allergens: Hazelnut > 1 mg/kg not declared in Biscotti grano saraceno  (buckwheat cookies) Italy
Allergens: Suspected cross-contamination with allergens (egg and mustard) in a Hot Sweet Chili Sauce France
Anisakis spp in hake roe  Morocco, via Spain
Prohibited substance methystine pepper in the food supplement "KAVA KAVA" Poland
Unauthorised novel food Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia) Cyprus, notified by Germany
Too high Vitamin D content 0,177 mg/dosage (0,025 mg/dosage) in food supplement Germany
Organoleptic defect (Presence of mould) detected in tomato tartare France
Foreign bodies (glass particles) in pizza dough  Austria

 

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger