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

 

May 2025

Chemical Hazards: Product Origin
3-MCPD, 3-MCPD-esters / Glycidylester 3-monochlor-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) 3.600 µg/kg (2.400 µg/kg) & Glycidyl esters 22.300 µg/kg (!) (1.00 µg/kg) in blended sesame oil China
Biogenic amines Histamine 293 - 416 mg/kg (200 mg/kg) in fresh tuna loin Sri Lanka
Biotoxins 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone +) (Dantron, Chrysazin) is a natural occuring glycoside laxative 88 mg/kg in tea Sri Lanka, notified by Germany
Heavy metals Lead 0,2 mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in ground galangal Thailand
Lead 1,0 mg/kg (0,2 mgkg) in pasta Italy
Lead >6 mg/kg (!) in wild boar Spain
Lead 13,3 mg/kg (3,0 mg/kg) in undeclared novel food +) Germany
Mercury 2,8 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in tuna Spain
Mercury 2.04 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in swordfish Portugal
Mercury 1,8; 1,8 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in swordfish (2) Spain (2)
Mercury 2,0 mg/kg (1,0 mg/kg) in defrosted marinated swordfish Spain
Hormones +) Anabolic-androgenic steroids in frozen fish  Indonesia, notfied by France
Mineral oil components (MOSH, MOAH) Mineral oil MOAH (C10-C50) 2,53 mg/kg (2 mg/kg) in frozen crème bruleé Belgium
MOAH 1,7 mg/kg (0,5 mg/kg) in tomato puree Spain
MOAH 17 (!) mg/kg (1 mg/kg) in Madras Curry Powder India, via UK
Mycotoxins Aflatoxin B1  12,3; 10,4;13,2; 24,2; 25; 72 (!) µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 15,6; 35,5; 14,5; 42,4; 45; 82 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs (6) Turkey (6)
Aflatoxin B1 11,4 & 12 (6 µg/kg) in dried figs  Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 20,0 µg/kg (6 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 70,3 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in dried figs  Spain
Aflatoxins (total) 3,05 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 7,33 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in dried apricots Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 68 µg/kg (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 76 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in almond kernels USA
Aflatoxin B1 23; 25; 50 (!) µg/kg (5 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 28; 28; 59 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in nutmeg shrivels broken (3) Indonesia (3)
Aflatoxin B1 3,9 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in melon seeds Nigeria
Aflatoxin B1 12,6 µg/kg (2 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 17 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in melon seeds Nigeria, via Netherlands
Aflatoxin B1 83,4 (!) µg/kg µg/kg (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 11,1; 91,4 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachio kernels unknown, via Sweden, notifed by Germany
Aflatoxin B1 45,7 µg/kg  (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 50 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios USA, notfioed by Italy
Aflatoxin B1 21,8 µg/kg  (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 23,7µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios Jordan
Aflatoxin B1 20 µg/kg  (8 µg/kg); Aflatoxins (total) 21,3 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 15,2;18,1; 46,6 µg/kg (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 16,8; 19,5;  50 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios (3) Iran (3)
Aflatoxin B1 76,6 µg/kg; 99,1 (!) (8 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 80,2; 107,2 (!) µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in pistachios Iran
Aflatoxin B1 4,8; 5,6; 7,4; 9,1; 10,1; 29 (!) µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 5,3; 6,2; 8,6; 10; 11,4; 32 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts (6) Argentina (6)
Aflatoxin B1 7,2 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 9,3; 10 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in groundnuts (2) USA (2)
Aflatoxin B1 7,2 µg/kg (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 8,4 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in peanut butter India, notified by Italy
Aflatoxin B1 13 (2 µg/kg) in Basmati rice Pakistan
Aflatoxin B1 7,7 (2 µg/kg), Aflatoxins (total) 8,4 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) in rice Pakistan
Aflatoxins (total) 1,52 µg/kg (1,3 µg/kg) in Dubai choclolate UAE
Aflatoxins (total) 8,65 µg/kg (1,3 µg/kg) in Dubai choclolate Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 0,47 & 0,53 µg/kg (0,1 µg/kg)) in rice crackers for infants and young children  Belgium
Aflatoxin B1 8,1 µg/kg (4 µg/kg) & Ochratoxin A 9,1 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in diced figs Turkey
Ochratoxin A 4,3 -10,8 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in dried apricots Turkey
Ochratoxin A 49; 58,1 (!) µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in pistachio kernels USA (2)
Ochratoxin A 24 µg/kg (8 µg/kg) in organic raisins Uzbekistan
Ochratoxin A 32,8 µg/kg (5 µg/kg) in sunflower seeds Turkey
Aflatoxin B1 7,3 - 10,71 µg/kg (2 µg/kg) in ground black pepper China
Ochratoxin A 729 (!) µg/kg (20 µg/kg) in licorice root powder  Uzbekistan, via Netherlands
Ochratoxin A 570 (!) µg/kg (20 µg/kg) in organic licorice root powder  Turkey
Tenuazoic acid 402 µg/kg in hazelnuts  Turkey
Zearalenone  14.000 (!) µg/kg (400 µg/kg) in corn oil France
Pesticides Ethylene oxide 28,4 (!!!) mg/kg (0,1 mg/kg) in spice mixture Georgia
Anthraquinone 0,12 mg/kg (0,02 mg/kg);  Chlorpyrifos +) 1,3 (!!!) mg/kg (0,01) mg/kg in dried Morel mushrooms India, notified by France
Chlorpyriphos +) 0,04 mg/kg in Basmati rice Italy
Chlorpyrifos +) 1,1 (!!!) mg/kg (0,01mg/kg); Dimethoate 0,15 (!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) & Profenofos +) 1,5 (!!!) mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in sweet mint Egypt
Chlorpyrifos+) 0,031 mg/kg (0,01 mg/kg) in whole Dhania coriander India
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, Tropanalkaloids etc. Tropane alkaloids 134,5 µg/kg (25 µg/kg)  Atropine 125,3 µg/kg Scopolamine 9,2 µg/kg in peppermint tea  Germany
Tropane alkaloids Atropine 12,6 µg/kg (10 µg/kg); Scopolamine 10,7 µg/kg (10 µg/kg) in glutenfree flour Italy
Ergot alkaloids 358 µg/kg (150 µg/kg) in wholemeal wheat flour France
Sulfites (E220) 171,9 mg/kg (50 mg/kg) in Petit Beurre-Vincinni Biscuits  North Macedonia
THC & Cannabinoids CBD 40 mg in gummies France, for market in Luxembourg
THC 849 (!) mg/kg & CBN 1.230 (!!!) mg/kg in fruit gummies  Slovenia
CBD 50 mg delta-9 THC 25 mg/kg in gummies USA, notified by Luxembourg

+) application is prohibited

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

 

Microbiological Hazards Product Origin
B. cereus in rice Cambodia, notified by Netherlands
E.coli in buckwheat flour France
in mussels Italy
EHEC, VTEC, STEC STEC in red clover seeds Turkey, via Belgium
Listeria monocytogenes 820 - 2.000 CFU/g in salmon products Denmark
in sliced smoked turkey Sweden
520 CFU/g (100 CFU/g) in ready-to eat mixed salad France
in chocolate callets Belgium
in chocolate mousse  France
in grated cheese Belgium
in lightly salted mackerel fillets Latvia
in shrimp France
in raw milk cheese (2) France (1), Spain (1)
in raclette cheese  Switzerland
Norovirus in Ostrich concave Italy
in oysters Spain
Salmonella in lavender flowers France
in  yarrow herb Albania, via Croatia
in red clover flowers (Trifolium pratens) Albania, via Croatia
in ground caraway  Austria
in organic cheese powder Netherlands
in pasteurised whole egg Netherlands
in dried organic papaya seeds Sri Lanka
in eggs Denmark, notified by Netherlands
in tahini  Italy
Salmonella Othmarschen in vanilla-flavored helva  Turkey, via Belgium
in cashew mousse Germany
in sesame puree France
in sesame seeds (6) India (1), Nigeria (2), Turkey (2), Uganda (1)
Staphylococci (coagulase-positive) in raw milk cheese Belgium
Vibrio cholerae in frozen prawns Ecuador

 

Other Hazards   Origin
Aloe-emodine +) 6.261 (!!!) µg/kg in a food supplement Germany
Glass fragments in cherry tomato sauce Italy
Suspected high content of vitamin D (125 milligram/day (!!!)) in food supplement  Netherlands
Unauthorised substance sibutramine +) 4.160 (!!!) mg/kg in coffee drink Turkey
Unauthorised substance sibutramine +) 2.410; 3.430 (!!!) mg/kg in food supplement (2) Turkey (2)
Uneclared allergens (gluten, nuts, peanuts, soy, sulphites, mustard and celery") not mentioned on the label of za'atar.  France
Undeclared allergen (egg) in in egg free pasta Hungary
Undeclared allergen (lupin) in crunchy muesli Austria
Undeclared allergen (milk) in pre-packed salads Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (milk) in plant-based chocolate mousse Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (mustard) in meal salad Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (soy) on cocktailnuts Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (sulfite) 143 mg/kg  in palm sugar Thailand, notified by Netherlands
Undeclared allergen (sulfite) 1.097.5 (!) mg/kg in mixed nuts and dried fruits Turkey
Undeclared allergen (wheat) on the label of oyster sauce Thailand, notified by Denmark
Undeclared allergen (wheat) on the label of biscuits Turkey
Undeclared allergen (wheat) in double chocolate & caramel cookies UK, widely distributed

 

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger, AGROLAB GROUP