ochratoxin A (7.6 µg/kg – ppb) in ground coffee from Germany, with raw material from Serbia in Switzerland
ochratoxin A (5.26 µg/kg – ppb) in basmati rice from the Netherlands in Germany
aflatoxins (B1 = 14; Tot. = 32 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio kernels from Iran, dispatched from Turkey in Belgium
Posted in Aflatoxin, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Temperature Abuse, Food Testing, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin
SINGAPORE – A satay seasoning product has been recalled after high levels of a cancer-causing toxin were detected in it, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced on Monday (March 15).
Instant Satay Spices by home-grown manufacturer Li Kwong Agencies Co was found to contain aflatoxins exceeding permitted levels.
SFA has directed the manufacturer to recall all batches of the product that bear the expiry date of Jan 19, 2022, and are sold in 50g and 500g packets.
All stakeholders dealing in maize imports would be required to be registered, the consignments coming in must be accompanied with certificate of conformity on aflatoxin levels and that traders have to issue details of their warehouses and the certificate of conformity should indicate that the aflatoxin levels complies with the maximum required levels of 10 parts per billion, the Ministry of Agriculture said. This comes a week after Kenya banned the importation of maize from two neighbouring countries, Tanzania and Uganda, after studies revealed higher than normal levels of mycotoxins. In a letter to the neighbours, the Kenya Agriculture and Food authority said they were “conducting surveillance on the safety of food imports into Kenya”. Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxins produced by certain fungi and can be found in food. It grows on a variety of different crops and foodstuffs including cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apples and coffee beans, often under warm and humid conditions.
Posted in Aflatoxin, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, Research
aflatoxins (B1 = 9.8; Tot. = 12 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Egypt in the Netherlands
aflatoxins (B1 = 6.2; Tot. = 7.2 µg/kg – ppb) in peanut butter from the United States in Belgium
aflatoxins (B1 = 51.9; Tot. = 57.5 µg/kg – ppb) in organic dried figs from Turkey in Norway
aflatoxins (B1 = 3.2 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from China in Bulgaria
aflatoxins (B1 = 23.7; Tot. = 25.9 / B1 = 6.3; Tot. = 7.1 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Egypt in Italy
Posted in Aflatoxin, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, RASFF
Posted in food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety Alert, Food Temperature Abuse, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, RASFF
The recent decision by Kenya to suspend maize imports from Uganda and Tanzania has stirred public concern over the safety of some food that is produced in the region, particularly grains.
Last week, Kenya banned the importation of maize from both countries, saying the products contained high levels of aflatoxins.
Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority said that the products were not fit for human consumption.
“The recommended levels of aflatoxin are ten parts per billion but the imports indicate that the levels are at 2,000 parts per billion, which is lethal,” Kello Harsama, the Acting Director-General of the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), told the media last week.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), aflatoxins are poisonous substances produced by certain kinds of fungi (moulds) that are found naturally all over the world; they can contaminate food crops and pose a serious health threat to humans and livestock.
WHO estimates that aflatoxins pose a significant economic burden, causing an estimated 25 per cent or more of the world’s food crops to be destroyed annually.
The decision by Kenya comes at the time some local agro-processing firms have been resorting to importing some grains, saying that the ones produced in the country contain high levels of aflatoxins.
Posted in Aflatoxin, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin
Kenya has banned all maize imports to curb the entry of unsafe grains into the country.
According to a letter by the acting Director-General of the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), Kello Harsama to the Commissioner of Customs in the Kenya Revenue Authority, the ban has been put in place after a survey on maize from Uganda and Tanzania showed it was not fit for human consumption.
“The authority has been conducting surveillance on the safety of food imports into Kenya. The results from maize imported from Uganda and Kenya have revealed high levels of mycotoxins that are consistently beyond safety limits,” reads the letter dated March 5.
FoodWorld 