Food Recalls in EU – Week 46 – 2015

Abstract:

This article is an extraction of data from the European Commission RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) and reports all the main food safety issues in the EU last week (divided by risk type and of notification).

Main Article:

This week on the EU RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed), we find the following notifications:

1. Alerts followed by a recall from consumers:

• Allergens: undeclared soya and barley in vegetable samosas in prepared dishes and snacks, following company’s own check. Notified by Ireland, distributed also to United Kingdom

• Allergens: undeclared nuts (Brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, and hazelnuts not listed)in raisins and almond mix from Germany, following company’s own check. Notified by Sweden, distributed also to Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Malaysia, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom

• Pathogenic microorganisms: Norovirus (genogroup II) in frozen blueberries from France, with raw material from Ukraine, following an official control on the market. Notified by France, distributed also to Belgium, Cyprus, and Luxembourg
• Pathogenic microorganisms: Salmonella (presence /25g) in nigella seeds from India, packaged in the United Kingdom, following an official control on the market. Notified by Ireland, distributed also to India
• Pathogenic microorganisms: Salmonella havana (presence/25g) in frozen minced lamb from Sweden, following official control on the market. Notified by Finland.

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

• Allergens: undeclared egg in sauce powder in soups, broths, sauces and condiments, following food poisoning. Notified by Norway, distributed also to Faeroe Islands and Norway
• Non-pathogenic microorganisms: concentrate for blackcurrant drink infested with moulds, following company’s own check. Notified by Denmark, distributed also to Iceland
• Foreign bodies: live insects (beetles) in various dried pasta from Italy. Notified by Denmark, distributed also to Germany, Italy, and  Norway

3. Alerts followed by a withdrawal from the market:

• Foreign bodies: plastic fragments in pumpkin soup from Germany, following consumer complaint. Notified by Germany, distributed also to France and Switzerland
• Pathogenic microorganisms: Listeria monocytogenes (presence) in golden enoki mushrooms from South Korea, following company’s own check. Notified by Netherlands, distributed also to Belgium, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and United Kingdom
• FCM (Food Contact Materials): migration of cadmium (0.94 mg/item), zinc (0.72 mg/item), and aluminum (0.11 mg/item) from porcelain cups from the Netherlands, following official control on the market. Notified by Germany, distributed also to Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Spain

4. Seizures:

None

5. Border rejections:

• Abnormal smell and dead mites and insects, in black pepper husk from India
• Absence of health certificate(s) for mirin (rice wine) from China
• Aflatoxins (B1 = 23.76; Tot. = 47.04 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs and in shelled hazelnuts (Tot. = 43.6 µg/kg – ppb) from Turkey
• Aflatoxins (B1 = 31; Tot. = 34 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio kernels from United States and Iran (B1 = 32.7; Tot. = 34.7 µg/kg – ppb)
• Aflatoxins (B1 = 52.5; Tot. = 57.6 µg/kg – ppb) in chilli powder from India
• Aflatoxins (B1 = 7.7; Tot. = 8.3 µg/kg – ppb) in cheese flavoured snacks from Philippines
• Aflatoxins (B1 = 8.8; Tot. = 8.8 µg/kg – ppb) in chia seeds from Paraguay
• Chlorpyrifos (0.35 mg/kg – ppm) in olives in brine from Egypt
• FCM (Food Contact Materials): migration of chromium (34.1 mg/kg – ppm) and manganese (66.6 mg/kg – ppm) from blades for food preparation from Brazil
• FCM (Food Contact Materials): migration of nickel (0.37 mg/kg – ppm) from chromium-coated steel grill for microwave from China via Hong Kong
• Formetanate (0.334 mg/kg – ppm) in peppers from Turkey
• Fosthiazate (0.044 mg/kg – ppm) in fresh peppers from Turkey
• Fraudulent health certificate(s) for frozen clams from South Korea
• Mercury (0.95 mg/kg – ppm) in chilled grouper (Epinephelus guaza) from Tunisia
• Methomyl (0.095 mg/kg – ppm) and dimethoate (0.082 mg/kg – ppm) in yardlong beans (Vigna unguiculata) from the Dominican Republic
• Poor temperature control of frozen octopus (Octopus vulgaris) from Mauritania
• Procymidone (1.6 mg/kg – ppm) in fresh garlic stems from China
• Propamocarb (0.22 mg/kg – ppm) and fluopicolide (0.034 mg/kg – ppm) in peas (Pisum sativum) from Kenya
• Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in betel leaves from India
• Spoilage of chilled bananas, pineapples, lemons, and avocados from Ecuador infested with moulds
• Too high content of sulphite (3556 mg/kg – ppm) in dried apricots from Turkey
• Unauthorized substance: carbendazim (0.34 mg/kg – ppm) in oolong tea from China
• Unauthorized use of colour E 110 – Sunset Yellow FCF in various flavour noodles from Philippines.

Source: EU RASFF Portal