Food recalls in EU – Week 49/2015

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: traces of lactoprotein (9.25 mg/kg – ppm) in coconut milk drink from Thailand, via the United Kingdom, following an official control on the market. Notified by Ireland;
• Pathogenic micro-organisms: Listeria monocytogenes (detected/25g) in chilled smoked salmon from Denmark, following company’s own check. Notified by Denmark, distributed also to France, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom;
• Pathogenic micro-organisms: Salmonella (in 5 out of 5/10g) in chilled minced meat preparation from Poland, following an official control on the market. Notified by Slovakia;
• Pathogenic micro-organisms: Salmonella enteritidis (presence/25g) in frozen chicken breast fillets from Poland, following an official control on the market. Notified by Malta.

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

• Composition: unauthorised colour Sudan 4 (3.43 mg/kg – ppm) in red palm oil from Ghana, following an official control on the market. Notified by Italy;
• Pesticide residues: methamidophos (0.017 mg/kg – ppm) and omethoate (0.14 mg/kg – ppm) and unauthorised substance acephate (0.15 mg/kg – ppm) in chilled long green beans from Laos, following an official control on the market. Notified by Norway.

3. Alerts followed by a withdrawal from the market:

• FCM (Food Contact Materials): migration of cadmium (1.36 mg/kg – ppm) and of lead (15.0 mg/kg – ppm) from glass with print from China, via the Czech Republic, following an official control on the market. Notified by Poland, distributed also to Hungary, Latvia, Romania and Slovakia;
• Mycotoxins: aflatoxins (B1 = 12; Tot. = 29 µg/kg – ppb) in ground hazelnuts from Turkey, packaged in Austria, following an official control on the market. Notified by Austria, distributed also to Germany;
• Mycotoxins: aflatoxins (B1 = 68.1 µg/kg – ppb) in sunflower seeds (feed) from France, following company’s own check. Notified by Belgium, distributed also to Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain;
• Mycotoxins: ochratoxin A (14.4 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey, following an official control on the market. Notified by Germany, distributed also to Netherlands;
• Pathogenic micro-organisms: Listeria monocytogenes (110 CFU/g) in chilled smoked salmon from Lithuania, following an official control on the market. Notified by Italy;
• Pathogenic micro-organisms: Listeria monocytogenes (<10 CFU/g) in various meat (poultry and pork) products from France, following company’s own check. Notified by France, distributed also to Germany and Spain;
• Pathogenic micro-organisms: shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx2+ /25g) in raw milk cheese from France, following an official control on the market. Notified by Germany, distributed also to Belgium , Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

4. Seizures:

• Heavy metals: mercury (1.2 mg/kg – ppm) in frozen swordfish loins (Xiphias gladius) from Spain, following an official control on the market. Notified by Italy.

5. Border rejections:

• absence of health certificate(s) for chilled okra from India
• aflatoxins (B1 = 27.3 / Tot. = 36.8 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey
• aflatoxins (B1 = 27.8; Tot. = 29.7 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from Iran and (B1 = 40; Tot. = 47 µg/kg – ppb) from the United States
• aflatoxins (B1 = 9.0; Tot. = 11 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Argentina
• bacterial contamination (9; 36; 27; 18; 36; 9; 18 CFU/g) of canned tuna in vegetable oil from Thailand
• dead insects and excrements of insects in dried split ginger root from Nigeria infested with moulds (81,76 %)
• fosthiazate (0.101 mg/kg – ppm) in chilled sweet peppers from Turkey
• mercury (0.61 mg/kg – ppm) in red scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa) from Tunisia
• methomyl (0.13 mg/kg – ppm) in chilled strawberries from Egypt
• propamocarb (0.055 mg/kg – ppm) and pyridalyl (0.064 mg/kg – ppm) in chilled strawberries from Egypt
• Salmonella (1 out of 5 samples /25g) in betel leaves from India
• unauthorised use of colour E 124 – Ponceau 4R / cochineal red A (87 mg/kg – ppm) in custard powder from Colombia