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: traces of peanut in mix for pistachio and chocolate cake from Italy, following company’s own check. Notified by Italy, distributed also to Malta;
- Biocontaminants: histamine (692 mg/kg – ppm) in marinated anchovies with garlic, lemon and capers from Morocco, following company’s own check. Notified by France, distributed also to Belgium;
- Mycotoxins: ochratoxin A (1,4 µg/kg – ppb) in blackcurrant soft oaty bars from Switzerland, via the United Kingdom, following an official control on the market. Notified by Malta;
- Mycotoxins: aflatoxins (B1 = 119; Tot. = 145 / B1 = 11.3; Tot. = 13.0 µg/kg – ppb) in mini biscuits containing 15% apricot kernels from Italy, following company’s own check. Notified by Italy, distributed also to Germany, Malta, Netherlands, Panama and United Kingdom;
- Pathogenic micro-organisms: Salmonella enteritidis (presence/25g) in soft raw milk cheese from France, following a food poisoning. Notified by France, distributed also to Belgium, Germany, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and United Kingdom;
- Pesticide residues: dimethoate (0.26 mg/kg – ppm) in green celery from Belgium, following an official control on the market. Notified by Belgium, distributed also to Luxembourg.
2. Information for attention/for follow up followed by a recall from consumers:
- Pathogenic micro-organisms and biotoxins: Staphylococcal enterotoxin in and foodborne outbreak suspected to be caused by pangasius fillets from Vietnam, following a food poisoning. Notified by Norway.
3. Alerts followed by a withdrawal from the market:
- Heavy metals: mercury (2.6 mg/kg – ppm) in frozen swordfish from Spain, following company’s own check. notified by Belgium;
- Pathogenic micro-organisms: Listeria monocytogenes (presence/25g) in grated cheese from the Netherlands, following company’s own check. Notified by Netherlands, distributed also to Sweden.
4. Seizures:
- Foreign body (presumably bird) in follow-on formula for infants from Germany, following a consumer complaint. Notified by and seized in Italy.
5. Border rejections:
- absence of health certificate(s) for roasted groundnuts from India
- acetamiprid (0.726 mg/kg – ppm) in sweet peppers from Turkey
- aflatoxins (B1 = 17.1; Tot. = 19.2 µg/kg – ppb) in dried whole red chillies from India
- aflatoxins (B1 = 4.2 µg/kg – ppb) in blanched groundnuts and groundnuts (B1 = 13; Tot. = 15 / B1 = 38; Tot. = 45 µg/kg – ppb) from China
- aflatoxins (B1 = 56.1; Tot. = 124 µg/kg – ppb) in hazelnut kernels from Georgia
- aflatoxins (B1 = 8.6; Tot. = 26.3 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey
- prohibited substance nitrofuran (metabolite) nitrofurazone (SEM) (> MRPL) in salted sheep casings from Turkey
- propargite (0.041 mg/kg – ppm) in frozen strawberries from Egypt
- propargite (0.24 mg/kg – ppm) and tetradifon (0.12 mg/kg – ppm) in dried tomatoes from Tunisia
- Salmonella (presence /25g) in betel leaves and sesame seeds from India
- sweetener E 950 – acesulfame k and sweetener E 955 – sucralose unauthorised and unauthorised use of colour E 110 – Sunset Yellow FCF in various snacks from the United States
- unauthorised food additive E 572 – magnesium stearate and unauthorised use of colour E 110 – Sunset Yellow FCF in various confectionery from the United States
- unathorised E 425 – konjac in water jelly from Taiwan
- unauthorised use of colour E 102 – tartrazine in plantain flour from Ghana
- unauthorised novel food ingredient Epimedium in food supplement
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