Food recalls in EU – Week 42/2015

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 (3000 mg/kg – ppm) in shrimp snacks from Indonesia, via the Netherlands, following an official control on the market. Notified by Finland, distributed also to Belgium, Denmark, France and Norway;
• Biocontaminants: foodborne outbreak caused by and histamine (3660; 2730; 880; 1000; 2510; 4260; 3900; 3400; 3050; 3570; 2450; 2910 mg/kg – ppm) in thawed prepared tuna loins from France, following a food poisoning. Notified from France, distributed also to Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands and United Kingdom;
• Biotoxins: Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins – saxitoxin (1002 µg/kg – ppb) in fresh oysters from France, following an official control on the market. Notified by France, distributed also to Italy;
• Mycotoxins: fumonisins (4734 µg/kg – ppb) in corn meal from Portugal, following an official control on the market. Notified by Luxembourg;
• Pathogenic micro-organisms: Salmonella enteritidis (presence/25g) in chilled chicken breast fillets from Poland, following an official control on the market. Notified by Denmark, distributed also to Belgium, Bulgaria and Czech Republic;
• Pesticide residues: unauthorised substance isocarbophos (0.053 mg/kg – ppm) in pomelo from China, via the Netherlands, following an official control on the market. Notified by Finland, distributed also to Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden and United Kingdom.

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

• Pesticide residues: unauthorised substance isocarbophos (0.051 mg/kg – ppm) in fresh pomelo from China, via the Netherlands, following an official control on the market. Notified by Finland, distributed also to Belarus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Serbia.

3. Alerts followed by a withdrawal from the market:

• Biocontaminants: histamine (1910; >1920 mg/kg – ppm) in canned anchovy fillets in olive oil (Engraulis encrasicolus) from Spain, following an official control on the market. Notified by Italy, distributed also to United Kingdom;
• Chemical contamination: phenoxyethanol (presence) in trout eggs from Turkey, via Belgium, following an official control on the market. Notified by Ireland, distributed also to Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, and United Kingdom;
• Heavy metals: cadmium (0.08 mg/kg – ppm) and mercury (2.3 mg/kg – ppm) in frozen dogfish (Mustelus spp) from Ghana, following a border control. Notified by Portugal, distributed also to Spain;
• Pathogenic micro-organisms: Salmonella (presence/25g) in powdered paprika from unknown origin, via Belgium, following an official control on the market. Notified by Netherlands.

4. Seizures:

None.

5. Border rejections:

• aflatoxins (B1 = 2.1; Tot. = 10.7 µg/kg – ppb) in barley from Ethiopia
• aflatoxins (B1 = 21; Tot. = 27 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey
• aflatoxins (B1 = 3.7; Tot. = 9.5 µg/kg – ppb) in peanut crackers from China
• aflatoxins (B1 = 5.6; Tot. = 19.3) in roasted diced hazelnut kernels from Turkey
• fenamiphos (0.126 mg/kg – ppm) in sweet peppers from Turkey
• metalaxyl (0.33 mg/kg – ppm) in black pepper seeds from Vietnam
• FEED: Salmonella (presence /25g) in dog chew from Brazil
• FEED: Salmonella (presence /25g) in poultry meal from Turkey
• FEED: Salmonella Lexington and Derby (presence /25g) in rapeseed cake from Belarus
• FCM (Food Contact Materials): migration of chromium (8.2 mg/kg – ppm) and of manganese (0.2 mg/kg – ppm) and too high level of overall migration (45 mg/dm²) from stainless steel kitchen knives from China
• poor temperature control (between 5.6 and 7.8 °C) of various chilled fish from India
• pyridaben (0.014 mg/kg – ppm) and cyhalothrin (0.18 mg/kg – ppm) and unauthorised substance tolfenpyrad (0.1 mg/kg – ppm) in black tea from China, via the United Arab Emirates
• Salmonella (presence /25g) in hulled sesame seeds from India
• Salmonella enterica in hulled sesame seeds from India
• Salmonella Orion (in 2 out of 5 samples /25g) in sesame seeds from India
• spoilage and poor hygienic state of chilled pineapples from Colombia
• suffocation risk as a result of the consumption of and E 425 – konjac unauthorised in 3 colour water jelly from Taiwan
• too high content of sulphite (788 mg/kg – ppm) in sweet apricot kernels (Prunus armeniaca L.) from Turkey
• unauthorised substance dithiocarbamates (0.40 mg/kg – ppm) in vine leaves from Turkey