Food recalls in EU – Week 45/2015

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 egg in sauce powder from Norway, following a consumer complaint. Notified by Norway, distributed also to Iceland and Faeroe Islands;
• Allergens: undeclared sulphite, egg, milk ingredient, mustard and barley in tasty trio condiment selection from the United Kingdom, following an official control on the market. Notified by United Kingdom, distributed also to Ireland;
• Allergens: traces of shrimp in frozen strawberries from Morocco, manufactured in Belgium, following a consumer complaint. Notified by Finland, distributed also to Latvia and Lithuania;
• Pathogenic micro-organisms: Listeria monocytogenes (329 CFU/g) in basil pesto sauce from Italy, following an official control on the market. Notified by Germany.

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

• Foreign bodies: banana muesli for toddlers from Austria infested with insects, following a consumer complaint. Notified by United Kingdom, distributed also to Ireland;
• Labeling incorrect: incorrect expiry date (08/12/2016 instead of 08/12/2015) of mascarpone from Italy, following company’s own check. Notified by Italy, distributed also to San Marino and Slovenia.

3. Alerts followed by a withdrawal from the market:

• Allergens: undeclared sulphite (25; 32 mg/kg – ppm) in marinated mushrooms from Poland, following an official control on the market. Notified by Poland, distributed also to Ireland, Lithuania and United Kingdom;
• Allergens: undeclared soya (7.19 mg/kg – ppm) in canned meat pate from the Czech Republic, following an official control on the market. Notified by Slovakia, distributed also to Ireland and United Kingdom;
• Heavy metals: mercury (1.87 mg/kg – ppm) in frozen sliced swordfish from Portugal, following an official control on the market. Notified by Italy;
• Industrial contaminants: benzo(a)pyrene (5.9 µg/kg – ppb) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (37.44 µg/kg – ppb) in sprats in oil from Latvia, following an official control on the market. Notified by Estonia;
• Labelling incorrect on gluten-free breadcrumbs and toast from Spain, following an official control on the market. Notified by Spain, distributed also to Portugal;
• Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of chilled tusk (Brosme brosme) fillets from France, with raw material from Norway, following an official control on the market. Notified by France.

4. Seizures:

• Heavy metals: mercury (1.9 mg/kg – ppm) in frozen gulper shark (Centrophorus granulosus) from Mozambique, via Spain, following an official control on the market. Notified by Italy.

5. Border rejections:

• acetamiprid (0.836 mg/kg – ppm) in fresh sweet peppers from Turkey
• aflatoxins (B1 = 1.9; Tot. = 4.5 / B1 = 33; Tot. = 36 / B1 = 22; Tot. = 23 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Bolivia
• aflatoxins (B1 = 54.3; Tot. = 98.6 / B1 = 39.6; Tot. = 70.1 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs, hazelnuts kernels (B1 = 13.9; Tot. = 48 µg/kg – ppb) and in pistachio kernels (B1 = 2.8; Tot. = 3 / B1 = 23.6; Tot. = 24.5 µg/kg – ppb) from Turkey
• aflatoxins (B1 = 19 µg/kg – ppb) in melon seeds from Togo
• aflatoxins (B1 = 3.14 / B1 = 2.56 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels and blanched groundnuts (B1 = 6.8 / B1 = 6.7 µg/kg – ppb) from Brazil
• aflatoxins (B1 = 49.1 µg/kg – ppb) in peanut halva from Ukraine
• aflatoxins (B1 = 6.4; Tot. = 27 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from Argentina
• attempt to illegally import (invalid health certificate) organic dried figs from Turkey
• bifenthrin (0.13 mg/kg – ppm) and unauthorised substances carbendazim (0.82 mg/kg – ppm) and chlorfenapyr (0.1 mg/kg – ppm) in green tea from China
• E 407 – carrageenan unauthorised in jelly mini cups from Malaysia
• FEED: improper health certificate(s) for dried pet food (chicken and rice and lamb flavor with rice) from South Africa
• fenitrothion (0.026 mg/kg – ppm) in olives in brine from Egypt
• FCM (Food Contact Materials): migration of chromium (0.4; 0.6 mg/kg – ppm) from kitchen scissors from China
• FCM (Food Contact Materials): migration of chromium (9; 0.5 mg/kg – ppm), of nickel (0.2 mg/kg – ppm) and of manganese (0.4 mg/kg – ppm) and too high level of overall migration (27 mg/dm²) from kitchen knives from China
• FCM (Food Contact Materials): migration of formaldehyde (< 19 mg/kg – ppm) and of melamine (3.31; 6.61; 6.17 mg/kg – ppm) from melamine dinner plate from China
• FCM (Food Contact Materials): migration of manganese (0.120 mg/kg – ppm) from steel grill from China
• fosthiazate (0.047 mg/kg – ppm) in fresh sweet peppers from Turkey
• missing import declaration for frozen flatbread dough from Pakistan infested with moulds
• peanuts in shell from China infested with insects (Pyralidae(moths), cocoons, live pests and frass)
• poor temperature control (-11; -10; -14 °C) of frozen sardines (Sardina pilchardus) from Morocco
• Salmonella (presence /25g) in frozen poultry meat preparations from Argentina
• too high content of sulphite (2429 mg/kg – ppm) in dried apricots from Turkey