RAPID ALERT SYSTEM FOR FOOD AND FEED
The legal basis of the system is Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (O.J. No L 31 of 1 February 2002).
The purpose of the rapid alert system for food and feed (RASFF) is to provide the control authorities with an effective tool for exchange of information on measures taken to ensure food safety.
To assist the members of the network, information is classified under two different headings:
• ALERT NOTIFICATIONS
Alert notifications are sent when the food or feed presenting the risk is on the market and when immediate action is required. Alerts are triggered by the Member State that detects the problem and has initiated the relevant measures, such as withdrawal/recall. The notification aims at giving all the members of the network the information to verify whether the concerned product is on their market, so that they also can take the necessary measures.
Consumers can be reassured that products subject to an alert notification have been withdrawn or are in the process of being withdrawn from the market. The Member States have their own mechanisms to carry out such actions, including the provision of detailed information through the media if necessary.
• INFORMATION NOTIFICATIONS
Information notifications concern a food or feed for which a risk has been identified, but for which the other members of the network do not have to take immediate action, because the product has not reached their market. These notifications mostly concern food and feed consignments that have been tested and rejected at the external borders of the EU (and the EEA1).
Consumers can be reassured that products subject to an information notification have not reached the market or that all necessary measures have already been taken.
The Commission publishes a weekly overview of alert and information notifications. As it is necessary to strike the balance between openness and the protection of commercial information, the trade names and the identity of inpidual companies are not published. This is not detrimental to consumer protection, as a RASFF notification implies that measures have been or are in the process of being taken.
The public must be aware that the Commission is not in a position to release more information other than that published here. However, in exceptional circumstances where the protection of human health requires greater transparency, the Commission takes the appropriate action through its usual communication channels.
The Commission informs the authorities of third countries of notifications concerning products manufactured in, distributed to or dispatched from these countries. However, the fact that a country is 1 European Economic Area mentioned as the origin of a product does not necessarily imply that the identified hazard(s) originated in the country concerned.
The notifications reported in the weekly overviews published on the European Commission's web site are so-called "original notifications", representing a new case reported on a health risk detected in one or more consignments of a food or feed. On these cases, control authorities are exchanging additional information on measures taken and outcome of investigations. This information does not appear in the publicly accessible weekly overviews.
Newly added columns are the "type of control" and "status" columns.
The type of control column indicates what type of control lay at the basis of the notification:
border control – import rejected: controls at the border posts of the outer EU (and EEA.) borders when the consignment was not accepted for import (“import rejected”);
- border control – screening sample: notification initiated through a sample taken at a border post for analysis but the consignment was meanwhile released to the market (“screening sample”);
- market control: official control on the EU (and EEA) internal market;
- company own-check: notification initiated through a company notifying the outcome of an own-check to the competent authority;
- consumer complaint: notification initiated through a consumer lodging a complaint with the competent authority; notifications initiated through reported food poisoning outbreaks are classified under this category.
The status column is a combination of two values, "distribution status" and "action taken".
The distribution status indicates knowledge existing at the time of notification about the possible distribution of the product on the market. The concept "market" is to be interpreted in a geographical way: "the internal Community market" i.e. this does not necessarily mean that the product is already on the shelves available to consumers, as often it is not.
The action taken represents the action already taken by the notifying country at the time of notification. If "no action taken" is given for an alert notification, this normally indicates that the product is not on the market of the notifying country (therefore: no action taken by the notifying country) but it may be on the market of other member countries.
Another addition to the table is the insertion between brackets of the outcome of the analysis to the "reason for notifying" column, whenever that information is available. This information allows evaluating the seriousness of the notified finding.
Week 2007/18
TABLE 1: ALERT NOTIFICATIONS
Notifications in blue typeface concern feed, all other notifications concern food.
|
DATE: |
NOTIFIED BY: |
REF.: |
REASON FOR NOTIFYING: |
TYPE OF CONTROL: |
STATUS |
|
30/04/2007 |
Germany |
2007.0301 |
Listeria monocytogenes (>200 CFU/g) in manouri cheese from Greece |
market control |
distribution on the market (possible) / product recall |
|
30/04/2007 |
Slovenia |
2007.0302 |
migration of formaldehyde (9.4 mg/dm²) from melamine ladle from Germany |
market control |
distribution on the market (possible) / withdrawal from sale |
|
30/04/2007 |
Ireland |
2007.0303 |
undeclared gluten (2393 mg/kg - ppm) in gluten free organic cereal flakes from Canada |
market control |
distribution on the market (possible) / product recall |
|
02/05/2007 |
Finland |
2007.0304 |
aflatoxins (B1 = 12; Tot. = 14.2 μg/kg - ppb) in peanut kernels from Mozambique |
market control |
distribution on the market (possible) / product (to be) returned to dispatcher |
|
04/05/2007 |
Germany |
2007.0305 |
aflatoxins (B1 = 7.21 μg/kg -ppb) in ground ginger from Germany, raw material from India |
market control |
distribution on the market (possible) / product recall |
|
04/05/2007 |
Italy |
2007.0306 |
carbon monoxide treatment (883 mg/kg - ppm) of vacuum packed slices of swordfish (Xiphia gladius) from Spain |
market control |
distribution on the market (possible) / product seized |
TABLE 2: INFORMATION NOTIFICATIONS
Notifications in blue typeface concern feed, all other notifications concern food.
|
DATE: |
NOTIFIED BY: |
REF.: |
REASON FOR NOTIFYING: |
TYPE OF CONTROL: |
STATUS |
|
30/04/2007 |
Italy |
2007.BBG |
parasitic infestation with Anisakis of fresh deepwater redfish (Sebastes mentella) fillets from France |
market control |
product expired (exceeded use-by date) |
|
30/04/2007 |
Greece |
2007.BBH |
aflatoxins (B1 = 15.4; Tot. = 17.8 / B1 = 1.8; Tot. = 2.1 / B1 = 2.3; Tot. = 2.7 μg/kg - ppb) in almonds from the United States |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
30/04/2007 |
Greece |
2007.BBI |
aflatoxins (B1 = 1.7; Tot. = 4.1 / B1 = 3.5; Tot. = 7 μg/kg - ppb) in groundnut kernels from China |
border control - screening sample |
distribution restricted to notifying country / product (to be) returned to dispatcher |
|
30/04/2007 |
Germany |
2007.BBJ |
Salmonella (presence /25g) in fresh skin on pintado (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatim) fillets from Brazil |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
30/04/2007 |
the United Kingdom |
2007.BBK |
aflatoxins (B1 = 30; Tot. = 35 / B1 = 56; Tot. = 59 / B1 = 12; Tot. = 14 μg/kg - ppb) in peanut kernels from China |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
30/04/2007 |
the United Kingdom |
2007.BBL |
undeclared sulphite (30 mg/kg - ppm) in plum chutney from Pakistan |
market control |
distribution restricted to notifying country / product recall |
|
30/04/2007 |
Austria |
2007.BBM |
too high content of selenium (2.62 mg/kg - ppm) in complete feed for weaned piglets from the United Kingdom |
market control |
product expired (exceeded use-by date) / reinforced checking |
|
30/04/2007 |
Italy |
2007.BBN |
bad hygienic state (presence of faeces) of chilled lamb meat from Bulgaria |
market control |
product expired (exceeded use-by date) / product (to be) destroyed |
|
02/05/2007 |
Lithuania |
2007.BBO |
too high content of E 951 - aspartame (6.98 g/kg) in sugar free chewing gum from the Russian Federation |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product detained |
|
02/05/2007 |
Finland |
2007.BBP |
aflatoxins (B1 = 2.2; Tot. = 7.2 μg/kg - ppb) in roasted diced hazelnut kernels from Turkey |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
02/05/2007 |
Cyprus |
2007.BBQ |
undeclared milk ingredient in vanilla soy milk from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia |
market control |
distribution restricted to notifying country / product recall |
|
02/05/2007 |
Cyprus |
2007.BBR |
undeclared milk ingredient in soy milk with 10 vitamins, calcium and lecithin from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia |
market control |
distribution restricted to notifying country / product recall |
|
02/05/2007 |
the United Kingdom |
2007.BBS |
aflatoxins (B1 = 4.1; Tot. = 4.8 / B1 = 2.0; Tot. = 13 / B1 = 2.1; Tot. = 2.4 μg/kg - ppb) in blanched groundnuts from China |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / physical treatment - sorting |
|
02/05/2007 |
Portugal |
2007.BBT |
parasitic infestation (Sarcocystidae) of chilled beef from Argentina |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product detained |
|
02/05/2007 |
Poland |
2007.BBU |
unsuitable means of transport for bulk (residues from previous cargoes) crude sunflower seed oil from Ukraine |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
03/05/2007 |
the United Kingdom |
2007.BBV |
aflatoxins (B1 = 30; Tot. = 35 / B1 = 56; Tot. = 59 / B1 = 12; Tot. = 14 μg/kg - ppb) in peanut kernels from China |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
03/05/2007 |
the Czech Republic |
2007.BBW |
aflatoxins (B1 = 88.9; Tot. = 96.6 μg/kg - ppb) in raw and unshelled pistachio nuts from Iran via the Slovak Republic |
market control |
distribution restricted to notifying country / product (to be) returned to dispatcher |
|
03/05/2007 |
Finland |
2007.BBX |
migration of 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane (1.1; 1.8 mg/kg - ppm) from soup ladle and whisk from China (Hong Kong) |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
03/05/2007 |
Germany |
2007.BBY |
unauthorised substance isofenphos-methyl (0.067 mg/kg -ppm) in red sweet peppers (paprika) from Spain via Switzerland |
market control |
product already consumed / no stock left |
|
03/05/2007 |
Germany |
2007.BBZ |
methomyl (0.35 mg/kg -ppm) and oxamyl (0.47 mg/kg -ppm) in yellow-green peppers from Turkey |
market control |
product already consumed / no stock left |
|
03/05/2007 |
Germany |
2007.BCA |
aflatoxins (B1 = 4.2; Tot. = 4.5 / B1 = ND; Tot. = ND / B1 = ND; Tot. = ND μg/kg -ppb) in raw pistachio nuts with shell from Iran |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
03/05/2007 |
Italy |
2007.BCB |
Escherichia coli (1300 MPN/100g) in live clams (Donax trunculus) from Greece |
market control |
product already consumed / no stock left |
|
04/05/2007 |
the Netherlands |
2007.BCC |
aflatoxins (B1 = 35.4; Tot. = 57.0 μg/kg - ppb) in groundnuts from Argentina |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / destination of the product changed |
|
04/05/2007 |
Portugal |
2007.BCD |
aflatoxins (B1 = 4.1; Tot. = 5.6 / B1 = 3.7; Tot. = 4.7 μg/kg - ppb) in peanuts from China |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
04/05/2007 |
Greece |
2007.BCE |
incorrect labelling on packaging containing various toys and a candy infested with moulds from Greece, raw material (candy) from China via Italy |
consumer complaint |
distribution restricted to notifying country / withdrawal from sale |
|
04/05/2007 |
Spain |
2007.BCF |
too high content of sulphite (246; 247;186 mg/kg - ppm) in shrimps (Penaeus vannamei) from Panama |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
04/05/2007 |
Spain |
2007.BCG |
too high content of sulphite (261; 160 mg/kg - ppm) in shrimps (Penaeus vannamei) from Panama |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
04/05/2007 |
Spain |
2007.BCH |
too high content of sulphite (328; 278 mg/kg - ppm) in shrimps (Penaeus vannamei) from Panama |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
04/05/2007 |
Greece |
2007.BCI |
ochratoxin A (10.2 μg/kg - ppb) in honey cookies from Ukraine |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product detained |
|
04/05/2007 |
Greece |
2007.BCJ |
ochratoxin A (5 μg/kg - ppb) in honey cookies from Ukraine |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) destroyed |
|
04/05/2007 |
Poland |
2007.BCK |
aflatoxins (B1 = 12.4; Tot. = 14.5 / B1 = 2.6 μg/kg - ppb) in pistachio nuts with shells from Iran via Ukraine |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
|
04/05/2007 |
Greece |
2007.BCL |
ochratoxin A (8.4 μg/kg - ppb) in honey cookies from Ukraine |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product detained |
|
04/05/2007 |
Greece |
2007.BCM |
ochratoxin A (8 μg/kg - ppb) in honey cookies from Ukraine |
border control - import rejected |
no distribution / product detained |
TABLE 3: CORRIGENDA TO PREVIOUS NOTIFICATIONS
|
DATE: |
REF.: |
NOTIFI- CATION: |
OF WEEK |
SUBJECT |
CORRIGENDUM: |
|
02/05/2007 |
inf01 |
2007.AZS |
16 |
unauthorised substance isoprocarb in starfruit from Malaysia via the Netherlands |
The correct analytical result is 0.047 mg/kg. |
|
02/05/2007 |
inf01 |
2007.AZI |
16 |
too high content of sulphite in chilled shrimps from Morocco |
The analytical results are expressed in mg/kg rather than in μg/kg. |
TABLE 4: WITHDRAWALS OF PREVIOUS NOTIFICATIONS
|
DATE: |
REF.: |
NOTIFI- CATION: |
OF WEEK |
SUBJECT |
REASON FOR WITHDRAWAL: |
|
04/05/2007 |
add02 |
2006.0177 |
11 |
cadmium in vacuum packed rice from Italy |
The counter analysis gave a favourable result, therefore this notification is hereby withdrawn. |
