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 Consumers can be reassured that products subject to an alert notification have been withdrawn or are in the process of being withdrawn from the market.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. 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 individual 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 mentioned as the origin of a product does not necessarily imply that the identified hazard(s) originated in the country concerned.
Week 2005/52 TABLE 1: ALERT NOTIFICATIONS Notifications in blue typeface concern feed, all other notifications concern food. DATE: NOTIFIED BY: REF.: REASON FOR NOTIFYING: COUNTRY OF 19/12/2005 Italy 2005.938 Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon DENMARK fillets 19/12/2005 Italy 2005.939 Listeria monocytogenes in sliced smoked SPAIN salmon 19/12/2005 Norway 2005.940 nitrites unauthorised in smoked salmon NORWAY 19/12/2005 Estonia 2005.941 aflatoxins in groundnut kernels INDIA VIA THE 19/12/2005 Italy 2005.942 too high count of coliforms in cheese FRANCE 19/12/2005 Germany 2005.943 unauthorised use of colour E 102 - tartrazine in noodles "Chinese fashion" THAILAND VIA THE 19/12/2005 France 2005.944 fragments of glass in mineral water FRANCE 19/12/2005 Germany 2005.945 unauthorised colours Sudan 1 and Sudan 4 ITALY in pasta 20/12/2005 Finland 2005.946 too high content of sulphites in candied fruits THAILAND VIA DENMARK 20/12/2005 Finland 2005.947 aflatoxins in roasted and salted pistachio GERMANY nuts 20/12/2005 Norway 2005.948 Salmonella enterica in roquefort cheese FRANCE VIA BELGIUM 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.949 Salmonella spp in frozen pig meat SPAIN 20/12/2005 Cyprus 2005.950 Listeria monocytogenes in marinated salmon CYPRUS "gravlax" slices 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.951 Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon DENMARK 21/12/2005 France 2005.952 Salmonella typhimurium in frozen minced ITALY beef meat (burger) 21/12/2005 Germany 2005.953 spoilage of veal meat GERMANY 21/12/2005 Czech Republic 2005.954 benzethonium chloride in grapefuit seed IRELAND extract 21/12/2005 Italy 2005.955 Listeria monocytogenes in frozen pangasius fillets VIETNAM VIA BELGIUM 21/12/2005 Italy 2005.956 migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from GERMANY 21/12/2005 Italy 2005.957 migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from GERMANY 21/12/2005 United Kingdom 2005.958 undeclared milk ingredient in cocoa dusted BELGIUM chocolate truffles 21/12/2005 Finland 2005.959 unauthorised novel food noni fruit extracts THE UNITED STATES 21/12/2005 Hungary 2005.960 ochratoxin A in coffee POLAND 22/12/2005 Germany 2005.961 aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and unauthorised THE colours Sudan 1 and Sudan 4 in hot paprika powder 22/12/2005 Norway 2005.962 too high count of coliforms in cheese (Brie) FRANCE 22/12/2005 Germany 2005.963 aflatoxins in ground chilli peppers INDIA VIA THE 22/12/2005 Sweden 2005.964 lead in food supplement NEPAL
22/12/2005 Czech Republic 2005.965 aflatoxins in hazelnut kernels AZERBAIJAN VIA THE 22/12/2005 Czech Republic 2005.966 too high content of E 200 - sorbic acid in GREECE strawberry jam 22/12/2005 Denmark 2005.967 Salmonella typhimurium DT 104 in beef GERMANY flank 22/12/2005 Denmark 2005.968 Salmonella typhimurium DT 104 in frozen GERMANY pork neck 23/12/2005 Czech Republic 2005.969 unauthorised irradiation of food supplements THE UNITED STATES VIA HUNGARY 23/12/2005 Germany 2005.970 ethoxyquin in frozen atlantic salmon fillets CHILE 23/12/2005 Germany 2005.971 high content of iodine in dried seaweed JAPAN 23/12/2005 Italy 2005.972 Listeria monocytogenes in sliced smoked salmon DENMARK TABLE 2: INFORMATION NOTIFICATIONS Notifications in blue typeface concern feed, all other notifications concern food. DATE: NOTIFIED BY: REF.: REASON FOR NOTIFYING: COUNTRY OF 19/12/2005 Finland 2005.DEP Salmonella Zanzibar in fresh baby corn THAILAND 19/12/2005 Hungary 2005.DEQ unauthorised establishment for frozen fish CHINA VIA POLAND products 19/12/2005 Finland 2005.DER aflatoxins in groundnut kernels BRAZIL 19/12/2005 Italy 2005.DES presence of bacterial inhibitor in frozen Iqf pud red shrimp (Solenocera Melantho) CHINA 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.DET aflatoxins in peanuts in shell EGYPT 20/12/2005 Lithuania 2005.DEU bad temperature control (rupture of the cold chain) of frozen sprat 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.DEV aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell IRAN 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.DEW aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell IRAN 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.DEX aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell IRAN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.DEY migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from ITALY packaging of tomato sauce 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.DEZ migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from ITALY packaging of extra virgin olive oil 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.DFA migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from ITALY packaging of pineapple juice 20/12/2005 Finland 2005.DFB Salmonella Tennessee in toasted extracted THE soya bean meal 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.DFC migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from ITALY 20/12/2005 Cyprus 2005.DFD too high content of sulphites in apricot jam CYPRUS 20/12/2005 Estonia 2005.DFE benzo(a)anthracene in mackerel cuted cold LITHUANIA smoked and mackerel cold smoked 20/12/2005 Italy 2005.DFF Salmonella spp in liquid egg white not GERMANY pasteurized 20/12/2005 Cyprus 2005.DFG E 200 - sorbic acid unauthorised in CYPRUS strawberry jam 21/12/2005 Italy 2005.DFH Salmonella Bredeney in frozen chicken breast skinless and boneless BRAZIL
21/12/2005 Finland 2005.DFI Salmonella Stanley and Salmonella Umbilo THE in organic rapeseed cake 21/12/2005 Belgium 2005.DFJ mercury in swordfish loins (Xiphias gladius) VIETNAM 21/12/2005 Germany 2005.DFK high content of morphine in poppy seed UNKNOWN ORIGIN 21/12/2005 Italy 2005.DFL too high content of sulphites in cooked BRAZIL VIA SPAIN prawns (Penaeus vannamei) 21/12/2005 Germany 2005.DFM aflatoxins in groundnuts with shell CHINA 21/12/2005 United Kingdom 2005.DFN aflatoxins in peanut butter THE PHILIPPINES 21/12/2005 United Kingdom 2005.DFO aflatoxins in cracker nuts - garlic THE PHILIPPINES 21/12/2005 United Kingdom 2005.DFP too high count of Escherichia coli in fresh THAILAND basil and coriander 21/12/2005 Germany 2005.DFQ aflatoxins in pistachio nuts with shell IRAN 21/12/2005 Germany 2005.DFR aflatoxins in pistachio nuts with shell IRAN 21/12/2005 Germany 2005.DFS aflatoxins in pistachio nuts with shell IRAN 21/12/2005 Germany 2005.DFT aflatoxins in pistachio nuts with shell IRAN 21/12/2005 Germany 2005.DFU aflatoxins in pistachio nuts with shell IRAN 21/12/2005 Germany 2005.DFV aflatoxins in pistachio nuts with shell IRAN 21/12/2005 Belgium 2005.DFW Salmonella in live mussels THE 21/12/2005 Slovakia 2005.DFX fragments of bones of ruminants in FRANCE steamdried fishmeal 21/12/2005 Denmark 2005.DFY mercury in porbeagle (Lamna nasus) DENMARK 21/12/2005 Italy 2005.DFZ migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from ITALY packaging of grapefruit juice 21/12/2005 Hungary 2005.DGA methomyl in pepper MOROCCO 21/12/2005 United Kingdom 2005.DGB aflatoxins in peanut butter GHANA 22/12/2005 Italy 2005.DGC aflatoxins in hazelnut kernels AZERBAIJAN 22/12/2005 Italy 2005.DGD Listeria monocytogenes in fresh horse meat ARGENTINA 22/12/2005 Finland 2005.DGE Salmonella group E4 in soya bean meal GERMANY "Lopro" 22/12/2005 Belgium 2005.DGF ochratoxin A in raisins TURKEY 22/12/2005 Lithuania 2005.DGG unauthorised substance chloramphenicol in UKRAINE honey 22/12/2005 Germany 2005.DGH aflatoxins in groundnuts with shell CHINA 22/12/2005 Germany 2005.DGI aflatoxins in raw pistachio nuts with shell IRAN 22/12/2005 Germany 2005.DGJ aflatoxins in raw pistachio nuts with shell IRAN 22/12/2005 The Netherlands 2005.DGK aflatoxins in natural hazelnut kernels TURKEY 22/12/2005 Lithuania 2005.DGL bad temperature control (rupture of the cold chain) of frozen poultry sausage THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION 22/12/2005 Italy 2005.DGM migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from ITALY 22/12/2005 Italy 2005.DGN migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from ITALY 22/12/2005 Italy 2005.DGO migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from ITALY 22/12/2005 Italy 2005.DGP migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from ITALY 22/12/2005 United Kingdom 2005.DGQ unauthorised colour Sudan 4 in palm oil NIGERIA 22/12/2005 France 2005.DGR Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus GERMANY aureus enterotoxin in ham 22/12/2005 The Netherlands 2005.DGS aflatoxins in hazelnut kernels AZERBAIJAN 22/12/2005 The Netherlands 2005.DGT aflatoxins in hazelnut kernels AZERBAIJAN 23/12/2005 Italy 2005.DGU migration of isopropyl thioxanthone from packaging of bechamel sauce ITALY
23/12/2005 United Kingdom 2005.DGV unauthorised establishment and pork laps UNITED KINGDOM and pork eyes unfit for human consumption 23/12/2005 Greece 2005.DGW too high content of sulphites in dried TURKEY apricots 23/12/2005 Slovakia 2005.DGX aflatoxins in dried figs TURKEY 23/12/2005 Norway 2005.DGY Salmonella enterica in frozen bovine meat BOTSWANA VIA GERMANY 23/12/2005 Germany 2005.DGZ aflatoxins in hazelnut kernels TURKEY 23/12/2005 Germany 2005.DHA aflatoxins in roasted hazelnut meal TURKEY 23/12/2005 The Netherlands 2005.DHB bad temperature control of frozen tilapia THAILAND fillets (Oreochromis niloticus) 23/12/2005 Germany 2005.DHC aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell IRAN 23/12/2005 Germany 2005.DHD aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell IRAN 23/12/2005 Germany 2005.DHE aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell IRAN 23/12/2005 Belgium 2005.DHF carbaryl in fresh apricots CHILE TABLE 3: WITHDRAWALS OF PREVIOUS NOTIFICATIONS DATE: REF.: NOTIFI- OF REASON FOR WITHDRAWAL: CATION: WEEK 20/12/2005 add01 2005.820 47 Favourable results of counter analysis. 21/12/2005 add02 2005.925 51 The health mark of the establishment is authentic.