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. Link: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/search

 

 

March 2025

Chemical Hazards: Product Origin
Biogene amines Histamine 249 mg/kg (200 mg/kg) in canned mackerel China, notified by Italy
Histamine 253 mg/kg (200 mg/kg) in fresh yellowfin tuna skinless loin  SriLanka
Histamine 1.147 (!) mg/kg (100 mg/kg) in tuna fillet Réunion
Biotoxins Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) 56,25 mg/kg (20 mg/kg) in thin-shell clams (Callista chione)  France
Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) >20 mg/kg mg/kg (20 mg/kg) in razor clams France
Dyes +) Leucomalachite green +) 1,1 µg/kg (0,5 µg/kg) & Malachite green +) 0,29 µg/kg (0,5 µg/kg) in milk fish Philippines
Ethylene oxide / Chlorethanol Ethylene oxide 0,51 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in Senna Extract 20% Sennosides India
Heavy and toxic metals Cadmium 0,63 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in sunflower paste France
Cadmium 0,227 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in Khorasan flour France
Cadmium 2,01 mg/kg in herbal tea USA, notified by Netherlands
Lead 10,89 (!) mg/kg (0,3 mg/kg) in fish Norway, notified by France
Lead 4,1 mg/kg (2 mg/kg) and mercury 0,0442 mg/kg (0,02 mg/kg) in ground cinnamon Vietnam
Tin 230 mg/kg (200 mg/kg) in canned peach strips China
Mineral oil components (MOSH, MOAH) Mineral oil (MOAH) 3,1mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in instant noodles South Korea
Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1  10,5; 13,5; 16,4;20; 24; 26; 30,1; 38,8; 106 (!!) µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 25,2; 14,1; 27,4; 21; 28,1; 42; 32,8; 58,4; 143 (!) µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs (7) Turkey (7)
Aflatoxin B1 10,2 µg/kg (1,6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 11,7 µg/kg (2,8 µg/kg) in dessert with nuts Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 2,4 µg/kg (6 µg/kg) Aflatoxins (total) 2,4 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 37,5 µg/kg (15 µg/kg) in date syrup Tunisia
Aflatoxins (total) 12 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 7 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in dried apricot pieces Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 47,8 µg/kg (5 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 48,7 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in whole dried chili India
Aflatoxin B1 33 µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 36 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A  23 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs  Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 4,1 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 4,6-10,6 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in soy protein product (raw material from Serbia) Slovakia
Aflatoxin B1 9,3-10,5 µg/kg (5 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 17,7 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in hazelnuts Azerbaijan, notified by Italy
Aflatoxin B1 26,4 µg/kg (5 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 41,8 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in hazelnuts Georgia
Aflatoxin B1 22 µg/kg µg/kg (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 75 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in almond kernels USA, notified by Germany
Aflatoxin B1 14 µg/kg µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in pistachios USA, notified by Belgium
Aflatoxin B1 >24 µg/kg µg/kg (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 54 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in shelled almonds USA, notified by Italy
Aflatoxin B1 3,0; 6,8; 7,1; 16,7 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 5,9; 8,1; 8,0; 18,2 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts (4) Argentina (4)
Aflatoxin B1 7,3 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 13 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts USA
Aflatoxin B1 34 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 40 (!) µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in peeled groundnuts Argentina
Aflatoxin B1 42 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 53 (!) µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnut kernels Uruguay
Aflatoxin B1 33,6 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 37,9 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in peanuts (shelled) Egypt
Aflatoxins (total) 21,3 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios USA, via Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 5,0 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in groundnuts Egypt
Aflatoxin B1 6,8 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in groundnuts India
Aflatoxin B1 26,1; 157,7 (!) & 295,7 (!) µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 28,4 µg/kg; 165,5 (!) & 306,6 (!) (10 µg/kg) in shelled pistachios (3) Iran (3)
Aflatoxin B1 13,4 & 13,6 µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 18,6 & 23,9 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in shelled pistachios (2) Turkey (2)
Aflatoxin B1 66,8 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 77,3 (!) µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in peanuts Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 26 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 28 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts China
Aflatoxin B1 33,3 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total)  34,7 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in watermelon seeds Syria, via Turkey & Germany
Aflatoxin B1 4,3 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 6,2 µg/kg (3,0 µg/kg) in rice Pakistan
Aflatoxin B1 26 µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 28,8 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios in shell USA
Deoxynivalenol 7.447 µg/kg (1.750 µg/kg) in unprocessed durum wheat grains Australia , notified by Italy
Ochratoxin A 31,8 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in wheat France
Ochratoxin A 5,7 - 13 µg/kg (3 µg/kg) in rye flour Germany
Ochratoxin A 6 µg/kg (3 µg/kg) in rye Poland
Ochratoxin A 7,26 µg/kg (3 µg/kg) in Basmati rice India
Ochratoxin A 4,4 µg/kg (3 µg/kg) in crispbread Germany
Ochratoxin A 27,4 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried sultanas Uzbekistan
Ochratoxin A 20,9 - 23  µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs Spain
Ochratoxin A 18; 35; 52; 62 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs (4) Turkey (4)
PAHs (Polyaromatic hydrocarbons) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Benzo(a)anthracene 5,2 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) & Benzo(a)pyrene 24,7 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in black cumin seed oil Egypt, via Germany
Pesticides Acetamiprid 1,2 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Azoxystrobin  0,78 mg/kg (0,3 mg/kg); Carbendazim 0,86 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg); Chlorpyriphos-ethyl 0,4 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Chlothianidin 0,2 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Dinotefuran 0,022 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Flonicamid 0,4 mg/kg (0,1 mmg/kg); Hexaconazole +) 0,22 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Kresoxim-methyl 0,73 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Picoxystrobin +) 0,44 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Thiamethoxam 0,44 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Tolfenpyrad 0,38 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Tricyclazole +) 0,78 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) & Trifloxystrobin 0,13 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in whole cumin India
Chlothianidin 1,4 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Dimethoate 0,26 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Dinotefuran 0,058 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Famoxadone 0,28 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Fipronil +) 0,051 (!) mg/kg (0,005 mg/kg);  Imidacloprid 0,2 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Kresoxim-methyl 0,25 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Metalaxyl 0,43 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Picoxystrobin +) 0,43 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) & Propiconazole 0,30 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg)  in cumin India
Azoxystrobin 2,7 mg/kg (0,3 mg/kg); Carbendazim 8,9 (!) mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg); Chlorpyriphos-ethyl 0,05 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Cypermethrin 0,28 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg); Dinotefuran 0,032 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Flonicamid 0,4 mg/kg (0,1 mmg/kg); Hexaconazole +) 0,79 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Isoprothiolane +) 0,19 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Thiamethoxam 0,12 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in ground cumin India
Acetamiprid 0,031 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Azoxystrobin 2,9 (!!!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Difenconazole 6,1 (!!!) mg/kg  (0,05 mg/kg); Dithiocarbamates 0,13 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Flutriafol 0,15 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in vine leaves cooked and salted Turkey
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,25 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Profenofos 0,059 mg/kg (0,03 mg/kg) & Quintozene 0,15 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in Thai parsley Thailand
Acetamiprid 3,2 - 4,1 mg/kg (0,65 mg/kg) in raisins Turkey
Anthraquinone 0,033 mg/kg (0,02 mg/kg);  Chlorpyrifos +) 0,024 -0,042 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & PAH 51,6 µg/kg (50 µg/kg) in black pepper Madagascar
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,031 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in rice India
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,02 mg/kg (0,01) mg/kg  in rice India
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,05 mg/kg (0,01) mg/kg in rice flour India
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,17 (!) mg/kg (0,01) mg/kg in Swetha, Jowar Millet,  sorghum India
Acetamiprid 0,03 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in rice Pakistan
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,031 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in green tea with mint China
Chlorpyrifos+) 3,4 (!!) mg/kg (0,07 mg/kg) & Penconazole 0,32 mg/kg (0,14 mg/kg) in dried, rubbed dill tips Uzbekistan
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,15 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Propiconazole 0,37 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in majoram Egypt
PFAS Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), 2,7 µg/kg (0,7 µg/kg) in crab China, notified by Netherlands
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, Tropanalkaloids etc. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids  2.203 µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg) in dried oregano Turkey
Pyrrizidin alkaloids 6.512 (!) µg/kg (400 µg/(kg) in cumin Egypt
Ergot sclerotia - natural toxins 511 µg/kg (150 µg/kg) in small spelt bread France
THC & Cannabinoids High content of delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) 420 (!) mg/kg & Cannabidiol +) (CBD) 12,300 mg/kg (!!!) in food supplement  Austria
Non-authorized novel food ingredient cannabidiol (CBD) 2,647 (!!!)  mg/kg in gummy bears USA, via the Czech Republic 
Veterinary drug residues Oxytetracycline > 100 µg/kg  in farmed salmon (4) Chile, notified by Spain (4)

+) application is prohibited

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

 

Microbiological Hazards Product Origin
Bacillus cereus in almond butter Bulgaria, widely distributed
E.coli in rope mussels Ireland
EHEC, VTEC, STEC STEC in raw milk cheese France
VTEC in chilled beef fillet Uruguay
Listeria monocytogenes in salted Atlantic herring fillet Lithuania
in grated cheese Netherlands
in smoked salmon trimmings Poland
Norovirus in oysters (5) France (3), Ireland (1), Netherlands (1)
in cupped oyster (Crassostrea gigas) (3) France (3)
in Manila clams France
in Japanese clams Portugal
Salmonella in toasted soy flour Netherlands
in eggs Belgium
in sunflower seeds (2) Bulgaria (1), Netherlands (1)
in dried bitter leaves Nigeria
in dried marjoram Egypt
in organic black chia seeds Uganda
in roasted pistachios (crushed and powder)  Italy
 in sesame seeds (6) India (4), Nigeria (2)
Vibrio spp. Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in shrimps  Ecuador

 

Other Hazards   Origin
Non-authorised novel food Radish greens (Raphanus sativus) from South Korea Austria
Muscimol +) in chocolate bar  Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (celery) in dehydrated broths and soups Spain
Undeclared allergen (celery) in parsley / sauces Spain
Undeclared allergen (celery) in prepared dishes Spain
Undeclared allergen (egg) in prefried frozen chicken Schnitzel Germany
Undeclared allergen (egg) in milk product Denmark
Undeclared allergen (fish) in frozen ready meal   Germany
Undeclared allergen (almonds) in chocolate crunch muesli  Germany
Undeclared allergen (gluten) in paté Czech Republic
Undeclared allergen (gluten) in plant based steak  Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (milk) in chips (2) Sweden (1), Poland (1)
Undeclared allergen (milk) in candy mix Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (milk protein) in Wurstel  Italy
Undeclared/mislabeled allergen (peanut & sesame) in poppy seed paste   Turkey
Undeclared allergen (peanut) on additional label on marinated olives   Turkey

 

Autor: Dr. Frank Mörsberger, AGROLAB GROUP