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

 

April 2025

Chemical Hazards: Product Origin
Biogene amines Acute poisoning by high histamine (scromboid syndrome) after consumption of tuna  Spain
Biotoxins Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) 32,85 mg/kg (20 mg/kg) in tellins France
Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) 21 mg/kg (20 mg/kg) in mussels Ireland, notified by France
Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) >20 mg/kg (20 mg/kg) in wedge clams France
Chlorate +) 0,81 mg/kg (!) (0,05 mg/kg) in poultry meat and poultry meat preparation Brazil, via Netherlands
Cyanide 350 & 270 mg/kg (150 mg/kg) in flax seed (2) Poland (2)
Heavy metals Lead 0,29  mg/kg & arsenic 0,12  mg/kg in dried marjoram leafs Belgium
Lead 0,29  mg/kg & arsenic 0,34  mg/kg in dried parsley Belgium
Lead 0,57 mg/kg in pheasant breast Bulgaria 
Lead 6,1 mg/kg (2 mg/kg) in cinnamon with raw material from Madagascar and from Sri Lanka  Netherlands
Lead 0,25 & 1,0 mg/kg (0,2 mg/kg)  in sheep's liver UK, notified by France
Mercury 1,5; 1,71; 2,1; 2,3 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in thawed swordfish (4) Spain (4)
Mercury 2,18 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in swordfish Portugal, notified by Italy
Mercury 1,9 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in chilled yellowfin tuna (Tunnus albacares) loin Spain
Mercury 2,47 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in marlin fillet loins  Spain
Mineral oil components (MOSH, MOAH) Mineral oil MOAH (C10-C50) 53 mg/kg (!) (2 mg/kg) in olive oil Netherlands
Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1 31,17; 211 (!); 278 (!) µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 32,6; 415 (!); 600,5 (!!) µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs (3) Turkey (3)
Aflatoxin B1 12,8 (6 µg/kg) in dried figs  Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 31 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg) Aflatoxins (total) 35 µg/kg (4 µg/kg);  Ochratoxin A 120 (!!) µg/kg (3 µg/kg) & Zearalenon 170 µg/kg (100 µg(kg) in corn germ product Romania
Aflatoxins (total) 7,1 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 18 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in dried apricot pieces Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 23,8 µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 31,5 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 14,7 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 14,7 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in pine nuts Afghanistan
Aflatoxin B1 21,8 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 25 µg/kg  (4 µg/kg) in organic chili India, via Germany
Aflatoxin B1 19 µg/kg (2 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 37 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in sunflower seeds Bulgaria, widely distributed
Aflatoxin B1 10,5; 30,8 & 31,8; 31,8; 43,2 µg/kg µg/kg (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 11,1; 32,4 & 34,2; 33,7; 45,2  µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachio kernels (4) Turkey (4)
Aflatoxin B1 10,9 µg/kg µg/kg (6 µg/kg) in dried figs Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 115,7 (!) µg/kg  (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 126,7 (!) µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios USA via Saudia Arabia
Aflatoxin B1 3,9; 7,3 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 7,1;  8,3 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts ()2) Argentina (2)
Aflatoxin B1 3,8 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in groundnuts Argentina
Aflatoxin B1 5,9 µg/kg (1 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 6,3 µg/kg (1,4 µg/kg) in chocolate UAE via Netherlands
Aflatoxin B1 52,5 µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 56,8 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachio kernels Jordan, notfied by Italy
Aflatoxins B1 15 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in pistachios USA
Aflatoxin B1 0,4 µg/kg (0,1 µg/kg) in rice for baby food  Netherlands
Aflatoxins (total) 15,5 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnut kernels USA, notified by Spain
Aflatoxin B1 12,5; 72,4 µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 13,8 ; 80,6 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in shelled pistachios (2) Turkey (2)
Aflatoxin B1 15,1 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 16,2 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) & Chlorpyriphos +) 0,17 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in rice Pakistan
Aflatoxin B1 38,4 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 39,9 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in peanuts in shell China
Aflatoxin B1 31 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 34 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts USA, notified by Netherlands
Aflatoxin B1 9,6 µg/kg (6 µg/kg); Aflatoxin (total) 12 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 9,3 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs Turkey
Ochratoxin A 31,5 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in raisins Iran
Ochratoxin A 167 - 367 (!!!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in children's food (Food for children age of 8 months and age of 1 to 3 years, several different product) with raw material from Spain via France  Finland
Ochratoxin A 19 - 27,8  µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs Turkey
Nitrate 255,8 - 295,7 mg/kg (200 mg/kg) in organic zucchini risotto with goat's cheese  France
Pesticides Ethylene oxide 3,57 (!) mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in ground ginger Lebanon
Anthraquinone 0,042 mg/kg (0,02 mg/kg);  Folpet 0,39 µg/kg (0,1 µg/kg) in Thai tea mixed Thailand
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,04 mg/kg & 0,026 mg/kg  (0,01 mg/kg) in raisins (2) China (2)
Chlorpyrifos +) 0,039 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in red millet Netherlands
Linuron 0,34 mg/kg (0,02 mg/kg) in dried thyme unknown
Perchlorate +) 13; 28 & 27,41 (!) mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in dried organic basil leaves Egypt, notified by Italy , widely distributed
Chlorpyrifos+) 0,15 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in fennel seeds India  
PFAS Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) 6 µg/kg (0,7 µg/kg) & Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) 1,5 µg/kg (1,0 µg/kg) in crab China
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, Tropanalkaloids etc. Tropane alkaloids  613 µg/kg (!!!) (5 µg/kg) in maize for popcorn Argentina
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 14.914 µg/kg (!) (1.000 µg/(kg) in dried oregano Turkey
Opium alkaloids morphine 48,9 mg/kg (29 mg/kg)  and codein in poppy seeds Czech Republic
Ergot alkaloids 643 & 655 µg/kg (150 µg/kg) in organic wheat bran (2) Germany (2)
THC & Cannabinoids THC 2.020 - 2.540 µg/kg and CBD +) 2.840 - 3.590 µg/kg in fruit gums Slovenia, notfied by Austria
delta-9 THC > 10 mg/kg in gummies USA, notified by France
Veterinary drug residues Nitrofuran (metabolite) Furazolidone (AOZ)  > ccα & 0,71 µg/kg (0,5 µg/kg) in shrimps (2) India (2)

+) application is prohibited

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

 

Microbiological Hazards Product Origin
Clostridium spp in UHT egg glaze alternative Italy
E.coli in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis)  Greece, notifed by Italy
EHEC, VTEC, STEC STEC in raw milk cheese France
STEC in beef Brazil, notfied by Netherlands
Listeria monocytogenes in Gruyere cheese France
in a tuna/tomato/hard-boiled egg Bagnat sandwich France
Salmonella in milk chocolate Germany
in salmon fillet Norway
in psyllium husks India
in organic chickpea flour produced with raw material from Turkey  Germany
in cumin powder China
in pistachios Afghanistan, notified by Germany
in tahini  Greece, via Austria
 in sesame seeds (3) India (1), Nigeria (2)

 

Other Hazards   Origin
Pieces of eggplant stem in baby food Moussaka Italy 
Glass fragments in cherry tomato sauce Italy
Adverse reactions to the consumption of food supplements Italy, notified by Spain
High intake of vitamin D3 through food supplements from the United States, via the Netherlands  Germany
Undeclared allergen (celery) in dried parsley Turkey
Undeclared allergen (gluten, wheat) in chocolate Turkey
Undeclared allergen (milk protein) in cereal product Italy
Undeclared allergen (mustard) in durum wheat semolina and whole durum wheat semolina pasta Italy
Undeclared allergen (peanut 0,31 . 0,55 mg/kg) in brand garlic powder China
Undeclared allergen (peanut ) in potato chips seasoning unknown
Undeclared allergen (mustard) in ground coriander India
Undeclared allergen (sulfur dioxide) 186 mg/kg (40 mg/kg) in palm sugar Thailand
Undeclared allergen (sulfur dioxide) and excessive levels of sulfur dioxide 3.420 mg/kg  & 1.286 mg/kg (!!!) (10 mg/kg) in dried apricots (2) Afghanistan (2)
Undeclared/mislabeled allergens (gluten, sulfite) in organic ready meal  Germany
Undeclared  allergen (sulfite 23 mg/kg) in frozen shrimp Vietnam, notified by France

 

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger, AGROLAB GROUP