Category Archives: Food Toxin

RASFF Alerts – DSP – Live Clams – Cockles

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RASFF – Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins (407.1 µg/kg – ppb) in live saltwater clams (Donax spp.) from France in France

RASFF – Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins (270 µg/kg – ppb) in cockles from France in France

RASFF – Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins (388.3 µg/kg – ppb) in live clams from France in France

RASFF Alerts – Ochratoxin A – Organic Dried Figs – Raisins

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RASFF – ochratoxin A (41 µg/kg – ppb) in organic dried figs from Turkey in the Netherlands

RASFF– ochratoxin A (27 µg/kg – ppb) in raisins from Turkey in Belgium

RASFF – ochratoxin A (20 µg/kg – ppb) in raisins from Turkey in France

RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – Frozen Beef

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RASFF – shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx1+; stx2-; eae+ /25g) in frozen beef from Brazil in Italy

RASFF Alert – Mycotoxin Patulin – Organic Apple Based Smoothies

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RASFF – patulin (50.9 µg/kg – ppb) in organic apple based smoothies from Latvia, with raw material from Italy in Latvia

India – More than 30 students – Thiruvananthapuram College

The News Minute

The reception area of the Jubilee hospital in Thiruvananthapuram witnessed a flurry of activities on Friday evening with a group of college students gathered there, wearing their uniforms and talking to each other. A little away from them, seated in the reception were some of the teachers from their college. This after around 30 students from the girls hostel of the Bethany Navajeevan College of Physiotherapy were taken ill on Friday morning due to food poisoning.

Hong Kong – A kind of chilled raw beef product from US suspected to be contaminated with E. coli (O157:H7)

CFS

Source of Information Centre for Food Safety
Food Product Chilled raw beef product
Product Name and Description Product name: US ANGUS PRIME BEEF RIBEYE

Place of origin: US

Packer: Aurora Packing Company, Inc.

Importer: Yata Limited

Use-by-dates: May 7 to 13, 2019

Reason For Issuing Alert
  • The Centre for Food Safety (CFS), through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted a notice issued by the US authorities concerned that raw beef products might have been contaminated with E. coli (O157:H7) and are being recalled.
  • Preliminary investigation by the CFS found that the above-mentioned local importer was suspected to have imported the affected product into Hong Kong.
Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety
  • The CFS immediately contacted the importer concerned.
  • Follow-up investigation confirmed that the importer had imported around 150 kilograms of the above affected product. All had been sold out at its outlets.
  • The importer has initiated a recall according to the CFS’ advice.
  • The CFS will continue to monitor the incident and take appropriate follow-up action.
Advice to the Trade
  • Stop selling the affected product.
Advice to Consumers
  • Members of the public should stop consuming the product concerned immediately if they have bought it.
  • People can contract E. coli through consumption of contaminated water or undercooked and contaminated foods, resulting in gastro-intestinal diseases. Intestinal bleeding and serious complications such as hemolytic uraemic syndrome may also develop in some people.
  • Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer’s hotline at 2694 1111 during office hours.
Further Information The CFS press release

RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin A – Roasted Pistachios – Groundnuts – Pistachio Bars

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RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 18; Tot. = 29 µg/kg – ppb) in roasted pistachios in shell from Turkey, via Belgium in the Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 11; Tot. = 21 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 15; Tot. = 18 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 15; Tot. = 18 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 58.7; Tot. = 67.14 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Egypt in Italy

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 28.2; Tot. = 35.7 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts in shell from Egypt in Italy

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 10.6; Tot. = 11.5 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio bars from Turkey in Germany

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 9.6 µg/kg – ppb) in spice mix from Pakistan in Ireland

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 12.3; Tot. = 14.2 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio kernels from the United States, via Turkey in Italy

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 14.7; Tot. = 15.4 µg/kg – ppb) in seasoning mix from Pakistan in Ireland

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 164.4; Tot. = 191 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Egypt in Germany

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 8.8; Tot. = 9 µg/kg – ppb) in seasoning mix from Pakistan in Ireland

RASFF Alerts – Ochratoxin A – Organic Fruit and Nut Mix with Sultana’s

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RASFF – ochratoxin A (in sultanas: 180 µg/kg – ppb) in organic fruit and nut mix with sultanas from Belgium, with raw material from Turkey, via the Netherlands in Belgium

RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – Organic Baby Spinach

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RASFF – shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx1+ stx2+ eae+) in organic baby spinach from Italy in Germany

RASFF Alert – Bacillus cereus – Curry

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RASFF – enterotoxin producing Bacillus cereus (1200 CFU/g) in curry from the West Bank and Gaza Strip in Slovenia