Food recalls in EU – Week 22/2015

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:

– Allergens: undeclared gluten (30-98 mg/kg – ppm) in gluten-free rice and buckwheat crispbreads from the Czech Republic, following company’s own check. Notified by France, distributed also to Belgium, Guadeloupe, Lebanon, Martinique and Slovenia;

– Pathogenic micro-organisms: Salmonella infantis (presence/25g) in ground turmeric root from unknown origin, following n official control on the market. Notified by Germany, distributed also to Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Italy and Portugal.

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

– Allergens/Additives and flavourings: undeclared sulphite (170; 160 mg/kg – ppm) in pickled lotus rootlet in brine from Thailand, following an official control on the market. Notified by Denmark;

– Non pathogenic micro-organisms: chilled mixed butters from the Netherlands infested with moulds, following . Notified by Denmark.

3. Alerts followed by a withdrawal from the market:

– Allergens: undeclared milk ingredient (135 mg/kg – ppm) in dried egg powder from Bulgaria, via Poland, following an official control on the market. Notified by Slovakia;

– Mycotoxins: aflatoxins (B1 = 13.8; Tot. = 16.3 / B1 = 15.3; Tot. = 16.7 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from India, following an official control on the market. Notified by Greece, distributed also to Bulgaria;

– Pathogenic micro-organisms: Listeria monocytogenes (present/25g) in raw milk cheese from France, following company’s own check. Notified by France, distributed also to Belgium, Spain, Germany and United Kingdom;

– Pathogenic micro-organisms: Salmonella typhimurium (present/25g) in chicken meat from Belgium, from chickens reared France, following company’s own check. Notified from Belgium, distributed also to Gabon and Netherlands;

– Pathogenic micro-organisms: Salmonella typhimurium (presence/25g) in chicken meat preparations from Belgium, following an official control on the market. Notified by Belgium, distributed also to France, Netherlands and United Kingdom.

4. Seizures:

– None.

5. Border rejections:

• aflatoxins (B1 = 2.3; Tot. = 7.1 µg/kg – ppb) in peanuts in shell from China
• aflatoxins (B1 = 43.36; Tot. = 47.24 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios in shell from Iran
• chlorpyrifos (0.6 mg/kg – ppm) and fenitrothion (0.05 mg/kg – ppm) in olives in brine from Egypt
• coriander seeds from Israel unfit for human consumption (intended for sowing)
• dicofol (0.076 mg/kg – ppm) in peppers from the Dominican Republic
• formetanate (0.105 mg/kg – ppm) in sweet peppers from Turkey
• poor temperature control (-8.2 and -12 °C) of frozen crabs (Chaceon spp) from South Korea and of frozen squid (Illex spp.) (between -11 and -9.4 °C) from Argentina
• rodent excrements (8, 20, 20, 20, 10 /kg) in sesame seeds from Sudan
• Salmonella Ekotedo and Salmonella Hongkong (presence /25g) in natural sesame seeds from Nigeria
• Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in betel leaves from India
• Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in paan leaves from India
• unauthorised colour Sudan 4 (30000 µg/kg – ppb) in palm oil from Nigeria
• unauthorised use of colour E 124 – Ponceau 4R/cochineal red A in syrup for the preparation of aromatised beverages from Pakistan