Food recalls in EU – Week 2/2015

This week on the EU RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) we can find the following notifications:

1. Alerts followed by a recall from consumers:

– Industrial contaminants: benzo(a)pyrene (12.7 µg/kg – ppb) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (57.42 µg/kg – ppb) in sprats pate from Latvia, following an official control on the market. Notified by Greece.

2. Information for attention/for follow up followed by a recall from consumers:

– Heavy metals: migration of cadmium (0.376 mg/kg – ppm) from canned pear halves in light syrup from China, following an official control on the market. Notified by Poland.

3. Alerts followed by a withdrawal from the market:

– Composition: unauthorised substances methyl-synephrine, phenethylamine and phenethylamine derivative (beta-methylphenethylamine) in food supplement from the United States, via the United Kingdom, following an official control on the market. Notified by Poland;

– Food additives and flavourings: too high content of thujone (48 mg/l) in absinthe 55 essence from Sweden, following an official control on the market. Notified by United Kingdom, distributed also in Luxembourg;

– Food additives and flavourings: undeclared sulphite (54 mg/kg – ppm) in shelled walnuts from Germany, following an official control on the market. Notified by Italy;

– Food additives and flavourings: undeclared sulphite (95 mg/kg – ppm) in white corn in salt brine from Spain, following an official control on the market. Notified by Denmark, distributed also to Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom;

– Mycotoxins: aflatoxins (B1 = 6.7; Tot. = 27.5 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Spain, following an official control on the market. Notified by Portugal.

4. Seizures:

None

5. Border rejections:

• aflatoxins (B1 = 10.3; Tot. = 26 µg/kg – ppb) in roasted pistachios from Turkey;
• aflatoxins (B1 = 20; Tot. = 25.1 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from Iran and from Turkey (B1 = 545; Tot. = 559 / B1 = 251; Tot. = 308 µg/kg – ppb);
• aflatoxins (B1 = 28.1; Tot. = 31.6 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts blanched from China;
• aflatoxins (B1 = 4.3; Tot. = 5.28 µg/kg – ppb) in peanuts from China;
• carbendazim (0.87 mg/kg – ppm), metalaxyl (0.12 mg/kg – ppm) and azoxystrobin (0.59 mg/kg – ppm) in various exotic fruits from Vietnam;
• chlorpyrifos (0.44 mg/kg – ppm), cypermethrin (1.68 mg/kg – ppm), acetamiprid (0.25; 1.05 mg/kg – ppm), imidacloprid (0.38 mg/kg – ppm) and cyhalothrin (0.09 mg/kg – ppm) and unauthorised substance dinotefuran (0.32 mg/kg – ppm) in jasmine, oolong and high mountain green tea from Taiwan;
• FCM: corrosion of cake pan from China;
• cyhalothrin (0.06 mg/kg – ppm) and unauthorised substance dichlorvos (0.07 mg/kg – ppm) in dried beans from Nigeria;
• cypermethrin (3.6 mg/kg – ppm) in fresh mint from Morocco;
• formetanate (1.311 mg/kg – ppm) in sweet peppers from Turkey;
• FCM: migration of formaldehyde (20.7; 24.1 mg/kg – ppm) from melamine tableware from China;
• FCM: migration of nickel (0.43 mg/kg – ppm) from steel grating from Turkey;
• profenofos (0.02 mg/kg – ppm) and dimethoate (0.049 mg/kg – ppm) in mangetout peas from Kenya;
• pyridaben (0.14 mg/kg – ppm) and unauthorised substance chlorfenapyr (0.16 mg/kg – ppm) in chinese broccoli (Brassica oleracea) from China, via Hong Kong;
• Salmonella anatum (presence /25g) in hulled sesame seeds from India;
• Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in hulled sesame seeds and sesame seeds from India;
• Salmonella spp. in frozen chicken breast fillets and frozen skinless spiced turkey from Brazil;
• triazophos (0.99 mg/kg – ppm) and unauthorised substance profenofos (7.5 mg/kg – ppm) in curry leaves from India;
• unauthorised substance dichlorvos (0.03 mg/kg – ppm) in dried beans from Nigeria;
• unauthorised substance monocrotophos (0.06 mg/kg – ppm) and permethrin (0.2 mg/kg – ppm) in okra from India;
• unsuitable organoleptic characteristics (black colour and bad smell) of tuna chunks in brine from the Seychelles with defective packaging and infested with insects.