Fraud and non-compliance issues discussed in October by European countries have risen for the first time in recent months. The number of food and other fraud suspicions raised by EU member states climbed in October. The 292 alerts are up from 213 in September and 222 in August. There were… Continue Reading Government Agencies, World, Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN), European Commission, food fraud, rasff Food Safety News
Fraud and non-compliance issues discussed in October by European countries have risen for the first time in recent months.
The number of food and other fraud suspicions raised by EU member states climbed in October. The 292 alerts are up from 213 in September and 222 in August. There were 325 notifications in July, 265 in June, 281 in May, 341 in April, 345 in March, 318 in February, and 277 in January.
The issues listed are potential frauds. Non-compliance may prompt investigations by authorities in EU member states. Details come from a monthly report published by the European Commission.
Data includes suspected cross-border fraud topics shared between members of the Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN) and retrieved from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), Administrative Assistance and Cooperation Network (AAC) and the Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN).
It covers food, animal feed, food contact materials, animal welfare for farmed animals, plant protection products, and veterinary medicine products that end up as residues and contaminants in food and feed.
The aims are to assist national authorities in setting up risk-based controls to combat fraudulent and deceptive practices, help the food sector with vulnerability assessments, and identify emerging risks.
Round-up of alerts
A total of 95 notices mentioned fruit and vegetables, with the majority being non-compliant because of pesticide residues. Dietetic foods, supplements, and fortified foods ranked second with 44 alerts. Cereal and bakery products were third, with confectionery in fourth.
The majority of issues were uncovered through border inspections or market controls. In total, 13 were found after consumer complaints and 34 after a company’s internal check. Two were because of food poisoning.
Eight alerts involved the United States in October. They included benzoic acid in soft drinks, irradiation of food supplements, 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA) in supplements, and other ingredients not allowed in Europe.
Product tampering cases included chicken DNA in Polish turkey sausages, pork and deer meat in Austrian venison salami, sheep milk in Greek goat milk kefir, and ethylene oxide in food supplements and psyllium powder from India.
Record tampering incidents included narcotics advertising in chips from Lithuania and document forgery of oysters from Ireland.
Other issues raised were feed unfit for consumption diverted to food in France, horse passport forgery in Ireland and the UK, and a horse treated with phenylbutazone in France not excluded for slaughter. In Ukraine, non-food-grade mustard flour and oil were possibly diverted to the food chain after import.
There was alleged illegal trade of cucumbers in Romania, an unapproved operator processing snails in France, unlawful trade of various products in Germany, and transport temperature issues with products from Vietnam, Romania, the Netherlands, and an unknown origin.
Several non-compliances mentioned ingredients not authorized in the EU and pesticides above the maximum residue limits (MRL). Other alerts were due to traceability concerns or products missing border controls.
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