Food News

Alert notices from RASFF concerning food (except for fruit & vegetable see special section)

Alarm

In this post, we are repeating essential alerts from the European Commission's RASFF system from the previous  month.

 

We will not repeat the information on all the mycotoxin and salmonella limit exceedances, but will show only a selection to illustrate the risks. However, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that in numerous cases, missing allergen information was classified as serious and also led to limit exceedances.

You can easily analyse the RASFF page yourself using various filter options and limit the messages to those that are of direct interest to your company. Link: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/search

 

OCTOBER 2024

 

Chemical Hazards: Product Origin
3-MCPD & Glycidylesters 3-monochlor-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) 4.447 µg/kg (2.500 µg/kg)  & Glycidyl esters (GE) 3.774 µg/kg  (1.000 µg/kg) in noodles Bangladesh, notified by Italy
Glycidol 3.229 µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg) and 3-MCPD 9.339 µg/kg (1.250 µg/kg) in frozen bakery product  India , via Germany
Acrylamid 445 & 459 µg/kg (350 g/kg) in biscuits (2) Romania, notified by Poland (2)
Biogenic amines Histamine 2.460 mg/kg (400 mg/kg) in anchovis in oil Albany, notified by Italy
Biotoxins Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins okadaic acid >320 µg/kg (160 µg/kg) in cockles (Cerestoderma edule) Portugal, notified by Spain
Heavy and toxic metals Cadmium 0,533 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in dried onion powder USA, notified by Poland
Cadmium 6,0 -10.0 mg/kg (!) (1 mg/kg) in consignment of squid Ecuador, notified by Belgium
Cadmium 1,8 mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in squid Spain
Cadmium  0,75 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in chilled vacuum-packed cooked crabs Ireland, notified by France
Cadmium  0,122 mg/kg (0,02 mg/kg) in food supplements Spain
Mercury 1.56 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in Tuna loin  Spain
Mercury 1.58 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in Tuna Steak (Sashimi Yellowfin Tuna Centre Cut Loin) Ireland, notified by France
Mercury 48.600 mg/kg (!!!) and Cadmium 11,5 mg/kg in food supplement India, notified by Austria
Mercury 0,87 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in chilled fish (Epinephelus Aeneus) Senegal, notified by Spain
Mercury 2,9 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in swordfish steak unknown, notified by France
Mineral oil residues MOSH/MOAH Mineral oil residues (MOAH) 3 mg/kg  (1 mg/kg (>50%fat)) in fried garlic Thailand, notified by Netherlands
Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1 5,8 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) &  Aflatoxins (total) 17 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in nuts Bolivia, notified by Netherlands
Aflatoxin B1 14; 4,8 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) & Aflatoxins (total) 16; 13,7 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in ground nuts (2) Argentina, notified by Netherlands (2)
Aflatoxin B1 252,0 (!!!); 66; 52,8; 20,4; 16,5; 15,3; 11;13,7; 15,5; 29,2; 27,8; 12,8;10,1; 13,2; 102 (!); 20,8; 28; 16,1; 39,7 µg/kg (6 µg/kg) & Aflatoxins (total) 276,4 (!!!); 70,4; 59,5; 20,9; 25,7; 12,8; 32,4; 22,0; 15,5; 31;31; 23; 23,2; 15,1; 109 (!); 41,3; 31; 55,1; 44,1 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs (19) Turkey (19) (!)
Aflatoxin B1 13,2;13,6; 75,9 (!) µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 14; 13,9;  144,0 µg/kg (!) (10 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 29,3; 264 (!); 87,1 (!) µg/kg  (8 µg/kg) in dried figs (3) Turkey (3)
Aflatoxin B1  18,2; 10,3; 10,2 µg/kg (6 µg/kg)  in dried figs (3) Turkey (3)
Aflatoxin B1 16 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) & Aflatoxins (total) 16 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in peanuts  USA, notified by Netherlands
Aflatoxin B1 6,5 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) & Aflatoxins (total) 18,6 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in peanuts  China, notified by France
Aflatoxin B1 21,1 (5 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 32,5 µg/kg; (10 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 94,5 µg/kg (!) (8 µg/kg) in shelled pistachios Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 34,9 µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total)  36,8 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios Iran via Greece, notified by Italy
Aflatoxin B1 6,5 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 10,2 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in sesame seeds Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 6,5 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 74 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios Nigeria
Aflatoxin B1 6 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in red quinoa Peru, notified by France
Aflatoxin B1 3,6 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 6,25 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in rice Pakistan
Ochratoxin A 23,5 µg/kg & 71,7 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) A in raisins (2) Afghanistan via Turkey, notified by Poland
Ochratoxin A 71,7  (8 µg/kg) A in raisins Turkey
Ochratoxin A 37,1 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in organic soft figs Turkey
Ochratoxin A 2,55 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in organic white mulberries Turkey
Ochratoxin A 21,0; 31,1;26,8; 24,7;11,4; 43,6 & 248 (!) µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs (7) Turkey (7)
Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) 59,9 µg/kg (50 µg/kg) in parsley extract China, notified by Netherlands
Benzo(a)pyrene 39 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) and sum of PAHs 165 µg/kg (50 µg/kg)  in ginger powder China, notified by Italy
Pesticides Acetamiprid 2 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg), Azoxystrobin 0,63 mg/kg (0,3 mg/kg), Carbendazim +) 0,57 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg),  Clothianidin 0,26 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Hexaconazole +) 0,14 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Iprobenphos +) 0,077 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  Kresoxim-methyl 0,23 mg/kg) (0,05 mg/kg), Picoxystrobin +) 0,39 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Thiamethoxam  0,34 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Tricylazole +) 0,62 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg)  in cumin powder India, notified by Netherlands
Chlorate +) 0,36 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in pear puree Netherlands
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,024 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in sesame seeds Guatemala
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,036 mg/kg  (0,0056 mg/kg)  & Fenvalerate 0,33 mg/kg (0,094 mg/kg) in sultanas Iran  
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,071 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in Tuvar beans India
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,091 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in black-eyed beans Madagascar, via Turkey
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,034 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in  red (brown) raisins Afghanistan
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,32 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in raisins Afghanistan
Ehtylene oxide+) 0,2 & 0,61 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in psyllium fibers (2) India (2)
Propoxur +)  0,23 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg)  & Tetramethrin +) 1,1 mg/kg (!) (0,1 mg/kg)in dried porcini mushrooms Italy
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, Tropanalkaloids etc. Opium alkaloids 127 mg/kg (20 mg/kg) in blue poppy seeds Czech Republic, notified by Poland
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids >1.200 µg/kg (400 µg/kg) in cumin Egypt
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 1.188 µg/kg & 800 µg/kg (400 µg/kg) in cumin Turkey (2)
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 3.456,6 µg/kg (400 µg/kg) in black cumin Turkey
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 6.138,1 µg/kg (!) (400 µg/kg) in food supplement India, notified by Netherlands
Tropane alkaloids 24 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in maize flour France
Sudan dyes and other forbidden colorants +) Presence of E 223 (sodium metabisulphite), E 211 (sodium benzoate) and E 120 (cochineal carmine), not authorised fruit and vegetable preparations other than jam Brazil
Titanium dioxide+) 3,1 mg/kg in roasted chickpeas Turkey
Suilfite, SO2 200 mg/kg (100 mg/kg) in sweet potatoe snack China
E220 sulfur dioxide 3.339 mg/kg (2.000 mg/kg) in dried apricots Turkey
undeclared E220 sulfur dioxide 56 mg/kg & 32 mg/kg  and non compliance declaration of other additives in dried mangoes (2) China (1), Thailand (1)
Veterinarian drugs Pharmacologically active substances doxycycline 617 µg/kg (100 µg/kg), sulfamethoxazole +) 170 µg/kg (100 µg/kg) and tetracycline 553 µg/kg (100 µg/kg) in shrimps Vietnam, notfied by Germany

+) application is prohibited

MRL exceeded: (!) ≥10 times, (!!) ≥50 times, (!!!) ≥ 100 times

 

Microbiological Hazards Product Origin
Bacillus cereus in pre-cooked pasta Czech Republic, notified by Austria
E.coli in praires France
in chilled mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis MSM) Spain
E.coli (VTEC, STEC) STEC in cheese (3) France (3)
Listeria monocytogenes in cheese France
in Pâté de campagne  France
in  raw milk cheese Portugal, notified by Spain
in  guacamole Belgium
in sprats Lithuania, notified by Germany
in salmon  France
in vegan omelette mix Germany
in cooked hams France
Salmonella in ground organic onions Egypt
in frozen beef kebab Poland
Salmonellosis cases in schools probably linked to prepared dishes (spelt with tomatoes and pesto) Italy
in pasteurized egg products  Spain
in salami Italy
in live mussels  Netherlands, notified by Belgium
in Bouchot mussels France
in trout fillets France
in noodles (Suzi Wan NEST NOODLES 8X250G) France
in noodles Italy
in  sausage "Luganega Stagionata" Italy
in sprouts of Brassica oleracea (red cabbage) with raw material from Italy Spain 
 in sesame seeds (5) Chad via Turkey (1), India (1) Nigeria (2) Tanzania (1)
 in sesame paste (2) Egypt (1), Turkey (1)
in ground turmeric India, notified by Poland
Salmonella Poona in frozen prawns Germany
in sausages  France

 

Other Hazards Origin
Allergens: milk and soy not declared in poultry meat Thailand, notified by Netherlands
Allergen: Lactose in lactose free UHT milk Belgium, notified by Netherlands
Allergen: Undeclared allergen wheat (gluten)  in Risotto Italy
Allergen: Gluten (>80mg/kg) in gluten-free oat flakes Netherlands
Allergen: Gluten-containing grains in gluten-free buckwheat flour Poland
Allergen: Undeclared allergen milk in corn nacho cheese snack Netherlands
Too high content of E 211 - sodium benzoate (1000 mg/kg - ppm) in prepared olives and unauthorised in prepared lemons Morocco, notified by Spain
Foreign body (glass splinter) in pasta sauce Italy
Medicinal active substances (Sildenafil, Tadalfil +)) in food supplement (5) China (3), Thailand (2) notified by Hungary
Non-authorized novel food ingredients CBD and CBN-P in fruit gums Czech Republic, notified by Spain
Muscimol in sweets Netherlands
Sale of food products with unauthorised ingredients (HHC, THC-H, THC-P, muscimol and kratom) on a Czech Republic website Czech Republic, notified by Spain

 

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger