Food News

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

Alarm

In this section we repeated alert notices from the RASFF system of the European commission issued in the previous month, which we thought to be noteworthy and of interest to our client.

You can analyze the RASFF-site conveniently by yourself using several filter options and limit the notification to those which are of direct interest to your business: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/search

 

January 2025

 

Chemical Hazards: Product Origin
3-MCPD & Glycidylesters 3-monochlor-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) 1.035 µg/kg & Glycidyl esters 812 µg/kg in biscuits with cream filling Iran, via Austria
3-MCPD 4.298 µg/kg (1.250 µg/kg), glycidylesters 2.165 µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg) and colour E 110 - Sunset Yellow FCF +) in snack foods Turkey, notified by Netherlands
Biotoxins Ergot sclerotia  0,3% in wheat France
Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBS Dioxins 14,9 pg TEQ/g (6,5 pg TEQ/g) in tuna France
Dyes +) Methyl yellow +) 14 µg/kg in turmeric powder India
Heavy and toxic metals Aluminium 16.700 mg/kg & lead 5,2 mg/kg in food supplement Austria
Cadmium 0,422 mg/kg (0,3 mg/kg) in shelled pine nuts Turkey
Lead 0,5 mg/kg (0,2 mg/kg) in sheep liver United Kingdom, notified by France
Mercury 1,2 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in fish Canada, notified by France
Mercury 1,6 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in swordfish Sri Lanka
Mercury 0,82 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) Tunisia, notified by France
Mineral oil components (MOSH, MOAH) MOAH 2,5 mg/kg in sliced vegan cheese alternative Greece
MOAH 8,1 mg/kg (2 mg/kg) in coconut oil Philippines
MOAH 92 (!) mg/kg (2 mg/kg) in palm stearin Malaysia
Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1 10,7; 13; 25,6; 26  µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total)  18,3; 14,4; 36,1; 29 µg(kg (10 µg/kg)  in dried figs (4) Turkey (4)
Aflatoxin B1 52,7 µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 141 (!) µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs Spain
Aflatoxin B1 11,1 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in texturised soy protein Serbia
Aflatoxin B1 11 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 12 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in soy protein product Serbia
Aflatoxin B1 4; 5,61; 7,26 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 4,5; 5,61; 7,26 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in soy flour Serbia
Aflatoxin B1 5,8; 4,2; 3.2 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 45,8 (!); 4,2; 3,5 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in soy flour Serbia
Aflatoxin B1  4,5; 20 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 4,8;  23 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts (2) Argentina (2)
Aflatoxin B1 4,5 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 4,5 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts Paraguay
Aflatoxin B1 31 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 34 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts USA
Aflatoxin B1 14,3 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 15,5 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in shelled peanuts USA
Aflatoxin B1 3,6 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 14,7 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in shelled peanuts China, notified by Italy
Aflatoxin B1 19,5 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 20,4 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts Brazil
Aflatoxin B1 7,3; 7,7;  8,6; µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 8,1; 7,7; 10 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts (3) Egypt (3)
Aflatoxin B1 5,2 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in groundnut kernels USA
Aflatoxin B1 3,2 µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 3,4 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 276 (!) (8 µg/kg)  in dried figs Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 9,2 µg/kg (6 µg/kg) in dried figs Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 4,9 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in sesame seeds Pakistan
Aflatoxin B1 5,1 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 9,1 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in sesame seeds Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 0,86 µg/kg (0,1 µg/kg) in organic date cubes Pakistan, notified by Netherlands
Aflatoxin B1 27 µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total)  33 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) & cyanide 44,1 mg/kg (35 mg/kg) in almonds Spain
Aflatoxin B1 23,6 µg/kg (5 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total)  25,8 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in hazelnuts Azerbaijan, notified by Italy
Aflatoxin B1 25,6 µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 46,4 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios kernels Iran
Aflatoxin B1 25,7; 67,6 µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 49,7; 74,5  µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios kernels (2) Turkey (2)
Aflatoxins (total) 18,1 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios kernels Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 71,9 (!) µg/kg (5 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 76,8 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios Turkey
Ochratoxin A >55 µg/kg (20 µg/kg) in dried brown chili (Pance aji) Chile
Ochratoxin A 33 µg/kg (20 µg/kg) A in spice powder Czech Republic
Ochratoxin A 27 µg/kg (20 µg/kg) in paprika powder Spain
Ochratoxin A 8,09 µg/kg (3 µg/kg) in pre-cooked wheat Italy
Ochratoxin A 36; 55,2; 40,3; 22 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in raisins (4) Uzbekistan (3), Iran (1)
Ochratoxin A 11 & 11,65 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in (Basmati) rice (2) India (2)
Ochratoxin A 57,2 (!) µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in shelled pistachios USA, notified by Italy
Ochratoxin A 14,67 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in organic corn Hungary
Ochratoxin A 11,19; 21,55 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs (2) Turkey (2)
PAHs (Polyaromatic hydrocarbons) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (sum)  64,1 µg/kg (50 µg/kg) in dried Gingko leaves China
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 394 µg/kg & Biphenyl 0,41 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in Chipotle powder Mexico
Pesticides Chlorate +) 1,2 mg/kg (0,235 mg/kg) in raisins Argentina
Aceatmiprid 2,03 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in raisins Turkey
Imidacloprid 0,04 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in rice Pakistan
Chlorpyrifos+) 0,97 (!!) mg/kg  & Cypermethrin 0,66 mg/kg (!!) in black cumin oil Sri Lanka
Buprofezin 0,17 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Chlorpyrifos+) 0,31 (!)  mg/kg) (0,01) mg/kg; Dinotefuran +) 0,043 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg), Prochloraz 0,38 mg/kg (0,15 mg/kg), Pyraclostrobin 0,48 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) & Tebuconazole 0,27 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in star anise China
Pyriproxifen 0,30 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & DINOCAP in sultanas Turkey
Thiamethoxam 0,1 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Tricyclazole +) 0,32 mg/kg (!) (0,01 mg/kg) in rice India
Permethrin 0,29 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg), Propoxur +) 0,43 mg/kg (!!) (0,005 mg/kg) & Tetramethrin +) 0,47 (!!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in dehydrated mushrooms  notified by France
Ethylene oxide +) (sum of 2-chloroethanol and ethylene oxide, expressed as ethylene oxide) 0,076 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg)  in paprika powder  Turkey
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,021 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in green olives with anchovis Spain
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,044 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in durum wheat (Freekeh) Jordan, notified by Germany
Chlorpyriphos +) 1,3 (!!) mg/kg (0,07 mg/kg) in lime leaves (spice) Indonesia, widely distributed
PFAS PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) 4,0 µg/kg (0,7 µg/kg) in frozen cooked shelled Pacific clams Vietnam
PFOS 3,6 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) & PFNA 1,5 µg/kg (0,5 µg/kg) in common sole (solea solea)  Netherlands
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, Tropanalkaloids etc. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids  1.435  µg/kg (200 µg/kg) in nettle herbal tea Poland
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 12.329 (!) µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg) in dried majoram Egypt, notified by Germany
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 1.930 µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg) in dried oregano Turkey
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids  424,6 µg/kg (400 µg/kg) in tea South Africa
Sulfur dioxide, sulfites E220- Sulphur dioxide 127,4 mg/kg in dried fruit mix  Iran
THC Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabiol +)  10 mg/kg (7,5 mg/kg) in hemp seed oil USA, notified by Spain
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) 24 mg in gummy candies Czech Republic
Non-authorised substances cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCP) in gumdrops Czech Republic
Veterinary drug residues Nitrofuran metabolite furaltadone (AMOZ) +)  1,55 µg/kg (0,5 µg/kg) in shrimp India

+) application is prohibited

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

 

Microbiological Hazards Product Origin
Alternaria in Tahin Belgium
Listeria monocytogenes in soft cheese made from raw milk filled with black truffle France
in soft cheese Austria
in smoked salmon Lithuania
in Sriracha Cheddar Cheese Wedge Ireland
Salmonella in buckwheat flour  Slovenia
in a finished sports nutrition product France
in sprouts seeds for sprouting Italy
in almonds USA
 in salami Italy
in ground melon seeds (2) Ghana (1), unknown (1)
in hulled sesame seeds Turkey
 in sesame seeds Nigeria
in frozen hot smoked pulled salmon Poland

 

Other Hazards   Origin
Broken glass in a jar of lacto-fermented vegetables (sweet Kimchi) Poland, notfied by France
Foreign body (glass fragment) in great white beans “Bianchi di Spagna”  Italy
Foreign bodies in caramel coated flan France
Foreign bodies (metal particles) in sweetener  Germany
Muscimol +) in gummies* and in jelly confectionery** Poland* and Czech Republic**
Sarcocystis spp. in adult bovine hindquarters France
Undeclared allergen (crustaceans) in shrimp flavour instant noodles  Germany
Undeclared allergen (gluten and milk) in raisin bread buns Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (gluten) in buckwheat Lithuania
Undeclared allergen (gluten) in frozen fries Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (milk and fish) on dressing Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (milk) in brownie mix  Italy
Undeclared allergen (mustard) in curry powder  Belgium
Undeclared allergen (peanut) in cashew flour  Italy
Undeclared allergen (peanut) in ground garlic  Portugal
Undeclared allergen (pistachio nuts) in chocolate  UAE
Undeclared allergen (sesame) in Dubai chocolate   Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (soy) on sauce  Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (soya) in protein powder  Germany
Undeclared allergen (sulphur dioxide) 1.241 mg/kg (!!!) (10 mg/kg) in dried apricots  Afghanistan
Undeclared allergen (sulphur dioxide) in raisins without kernels  Turkey
Undeclared allergen sulphur dioxide 15,6 mg/kg in pickled radish  China, notified by Germany

 

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger, AGROLAB GROUP