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

JUNE 2025

Chemical Hazards: Product Origin
3-MCPD, 3-MCPD-esters / Glycidylester 3-monochlor-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) 2.040 µg/kg (1.250 µg/kg)  in palm kernel oil Ghana, for Netherlands
Glycidylesters  2.205 µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg) in palm fat  Malaysia
Acrylamide 2.025 µgh/kg in plain potato chips  Spain
Biogenic amines  Histamine in anchovis Italy
Histamine >300 mg/kg (100 mg/kg) in anchovis Spain
Biotoxins Grayanotoxins in honey Nepal, notified by Germany
Dyes +) Unauthorized Sudan red IV dye >3.000 µg/kg in palm oil Ivory Coast
Heavy metals Cadmium 3,5; 15,8 (!)  mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in frozen squid (2) India (2)
Lead 4,337 (!) mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in dried garlic India, notified by Poland
Lead 3,2 mg/kg (2,0 mg/kg) in cinnamon Vietnam
Mercury 0,98 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) Tunisia, notified by Italy
Mercury 1,4; 1,66 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in swordfish (2) Spain (2)
Mercury 1,2 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in frozen  Indo-pacific skinless, boneless sailfish Spain, notified by Italy
Mineral oil components (MOSH, MOAH) Mineral oil MOAH (C10-C50) 20 mg/kg (10 mg/kg) in olive oil Spain
Various products of confectionery range contain MOSH/MOAH  Canada
Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1 23,8 µg/kg (5 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 29,4 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in nut meg unknown
Aflatoxin B1 12,4; 14,2; 30,93 µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 17,8; 17,6; 35,93 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs (3) Turkey (3)
Aflatoxin B1 9,9 µg/kg (2 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 13 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in almonds Italy
Aflatoxin B1 17 µg/kg (5 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 19 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in Amazonia nuts Bolivia
Aflatoxin B1 26,68 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 30,73 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in corn and cassava flour mixture  France
Aflatoxin B1 56 µg/kg (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 59,6 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in organic pistachio kernels Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 16,4; 68,3 µg/kg  (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 17,3; 75,3 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in antep pistachios kernels Turkey (2)
Aflatoxin B1 23,9 µg/kg  (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 26,0 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios in shell Iran
Aflatoxin B1 16,1; 47,1 µg/kg  (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 15,5; 51,5 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios (2) Jordan (2), notified by Italy
Aflatoxin B1 52,8 µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 57,6 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in granulated pistachio kernels Turkey
Aflatoxins (total) >24 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in pistachios Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 13,7; 15,3  µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 36,8; 23,6  µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios in shell (2) USA (2)
Aflatoxin B1 6,5; 9,1; 12; 18; 110 (!!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 7,4; 10,1; 12; 21; 120 (!) µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnut kernels/peanuts (5) USA (5)
Aflatoxin B1 3,1; 3,9; 18; 31 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 4; 4,6; 7,4; 25; 21; 38 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts (4) Argentina (4)
Aflatoxin B1 6,06 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 6,98 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts Ghana, for France
Aflatoxin B1 4 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 4,7 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts Nicaragua 
Aflatoxin B1 10; 20 (!); 50 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 11; 22; 56 (!) µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts (3) India (3)
Aflatoxin B1 3,7; 4,2;  6,7; 47,1 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in peanuts (4) USA (4)
Aflatoxin B1 16,7 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 17,7 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in peanuts Nicaragua, notified by Spain
Aflatoxins (total) 20 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in peanuts China
Aflatoxin B1 10 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 6,2 µg/kg (3 µg/kg) in organic rice India
Aflatoxin B1 3,7 (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 10 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 6,2 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in organic brown rice India
Aflatoxin B1 9,8 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in rice  Pakistan
Aflatoxin B1 18 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) & Aflatoxins (total)  19 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in sweet peppers  Sri Lanka
Ochratoxin A 5,7; 18,2; 20,69 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in dried apricots (3) Turkey (3)
Ochratoxin A 27 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in dried figs Turkey
Ochratoxin A 35,8 µg/kg (15 µg/kg) in date syrup Belgium
Ochratoxin A 30 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in pistachios USA
Tenuazonic acid (TEA) 84 - >5.000 (!!) µg/kg (100 µg/kg);  Alternarinol monomethyl ether (AME) 4- 9,1 µg/kg and Alternariol (AOH) 9,2- 14,1 µg/kg in hazelnuts  Turkey
Pesticides Ethylene oxide +) 0,28 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in spice mixture United Kingdom
Acetamiprid 4,0 (!!!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Azoxystrobin 0,19 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); lambda- Cyhalothrin 6,3 (!!!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Cypermethrin 1,2 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Flitriafol +) 0,088 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Tebuconazole 13 (!!!) mg/kg (0,02 mg/kg); Trifoxistrobin 3,4 (!!!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in pickled vine leaves Lebanon
Acetamiprid 1,2 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Chlorantraniliprole 0,66 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Chlorpyrifos +) 0,086 mg/kg (0,01mg/kg); Clothianidin 0,86 (!) mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Fipronil +) 0,0065 mg/kg (0,005 mg/kg); Flonicamid 0,3 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg);  lmidacloprid 0,092 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Lufenuron 0,13 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Prometryn+) 0,021 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Pyraclostrobin 0,31 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in Cumin seeds China
Acetamiprid 0,28 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Azoxystrobin 0,15 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Carbendazim 0,29 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg); Chlorpyrifos +) 0,13 (!) mg/kg (0,01mg/kg); Difenoconazole 0,093 mg/kg mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Flonicamid 0,2 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg); lmidacloprid 0,42 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Lambda-Cyhalothrin 0,15 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); Lufenuron 0,19 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) & Pyrimethanil 0,13 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg) in Chrysanthemum Pu-erh Tea China
Acetamiprid 0,22 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); Chlorpyrifos +) 0,07 mg/kg (0,01mg/kg); Dinotefuran +) 0,52 (!!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg); lmidacloprid 0,18 mg/kg (0,05 mg/kg); lambda-Cyhalothrin 0,32 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Tolfenpyrad 0,19 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in green tea Azerbaijan, notified by Poland
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,12 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in Cumin seeds India
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,02 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in Cardamome seeds Guatemala
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,23 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in rubbed mint Turkey
Chlorpyrifos +)  0,019 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Tricyclazole +) 0,044 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in rice India
Chlotianidin 0,38 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in ginger China
Anthraquinone 0,042 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in mate tea Argentina
Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) Benzo(a)pyrene 15 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) and sum of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 81 µg/kg (50 µg/kg) in food extract  Italy
Benzo(a)pyrene 5,5 µg/kg (2 µg/kg); sum of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 23,3 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) & pesticide Chlorpyriphos +)  0,011 mg/kg  (0,003 mg/kg) in sunflower oil Ukraine
Benzo(a)pyrene 4,67µg/kg  (21 µg/kg) and sum of PAHs 32,47 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in oil mixture (unrefined rapeseed oil 90%, unrefined sunflower oil 10%) Belarus
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, Tropanalkaloids etc. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 3.518 µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg)  in dried oregano Turkey
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids 50.684 (!) µg/kg (1.000 µg/kg) in rubbed marjoram Egypt
Ergot sclerotia in wheat France
Sulfites (E220) 112 mg/kg (50 mg/kg) & E211 Sodium benzoate +) 7,8 mg/kg in quince-sweet potatoe paste Argentina, notified by Spain
THC & Cannabinoids THC in sweets Spain
Tetrahydocannabinol (THC) 9,6 mg/kg (7,5 mg/kg) in virgin hemp oil  France
THC 426 - 1.715  (!!)mg/kg in gums (2) USA (2)
THC 14,5 mg/piece in gums USA, notified by France
Veterinary drug residues Prohibited substance nitrofuran (metabolite) furazolidone (AOZ) +) 3,1 µg/kg (0,5 µg/kg) in frozen frog legs Vietnam, via Belgium

+) application is prohibited

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

 

Microbiological Hazards Product Origin
E.coli in clams (4) Italy (4)
EHEC, VTEC, STEC STEC in wild boar meat  Germany, notified by Italy
STEC in teff flour; raw material from Netherlands Germany
Listeria monocytogenes in salami Italy
in hummus Belgium
in marinated, sliced salmon France
in soft raw cheese Portugal
in raw milk cheese  France
Salmonella in coconut flakes Philippines
in chocolate callets Belgium
in walnut kernels USA
in filled pastry Germany
in macadamia flour  Germany
in whole egg powder Poland, notified by Germany
in tahini (2) France (1), Jordan, notfied by Italy (1)
in in black organic chia seeds Uganda
in sesame seeds (7) India (5), Turkey (1), Uganda (1)
Vibrio cholerae in shrimps Ecuador

 

Other Hazards   Origin
High content of vitamin B6  129,96 mg/tablet (UL TDI 12 mg) in a food supplement United Kingdom
Too high Vitamin D level 15.025 mg/item in food supplement  Italy
Emodin +) 190.154 (!!!) µg/kg  in food supplement   Netherlands 
Foreign bodies (glass fragments) in cereal bars  Denmark, notfied by Germany
Foreign bodies (glass fragments) in vegetable spread for sandwich  Netherlands, notfied by Belgium
Monacolin K 7,0 mg/kg (3 mg/kg) in Red Yeast Rice food supplement UK
Unauthorised substance Danthron +) 116 (!!) mg/kg in herbal tea blend (Product recall!)  Sri Lanka
Undeclared allergen (gluten)  60-100 mg/kg in baking mix Germany
Undeclared allergen (gluten) in sorghum flour Tunisia
Undeclared allergen (gluten) in baby cereal biscuit  Netherlands
Undeclared allergens (gluten-containing grains) in chocolate spread  Italy
Undeclared allergen (egg) in frozen organic vegetable-filled pastries  Lithuania, notfied by Germany
Undeclared allergens (milk, soya and sulphites) in biscuits China, notified by Spain
Undeclared allergen (milk protein) in strawberry oat cookies Latvia
Undeclared allergen (milk) in wheat bars Germany
Undeclared allergen (sesame) in Dubai-style bar milk chocolate UAE, via Austria
Undeclared allergen (soy) in sauces Philippines

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger, AGROLAB GROUP