Category Archives: Mycotoxin

RASFF Alert – Ochratoxin A – Dried Figs

Posted on March 12, 2021 by | Leave a comment

European Food Alerts

RASFF

ochratoxin A (31.5 mg/kg – ppm) in dried figs from Turkey in Germany

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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

RASFF Alerts -Animal Feed -Aflatoxin – Groundnuts

Posted on March 12, 2021 by | Leave a comment

European Food Alerts

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 150 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from India in the Netherlands

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Animal Feed, Animal Feed Testing, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Toxin, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, RASFF

East Africa – Food Safety – Aflatoxin

Posted on March 11, 2021 by | Leave a comment

All Africa

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.

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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 – Kenya bans all maize imports over aflatoxin

Posted on March 8, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Standard Media

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.

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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

Tunisia – Tunisia: Aflatoxin-Contaminated Rice Still Stored in Oct’s Warehouses

Posted on March 8, 2021 by | Leave a comment

All Africa

Tunis/Tunisia — A 800-tonne shipment of imported white rice, nearly half of which is contaminated with aflatoxins, is still stored separately in warehouses of the Tunisian Commerce Office (French: OCT), CEO Elyes Ben Ameur told TAP on Wednesday. Another shipment of 600 tonnes is being checked.

The value of imported shipments amounts to 1.5 million dinars. Ben Ameur said the OCT became aware of the contamination in early 2021 after a self-monitoring operation.

Aflatoxins are mycotoxins produced by certain fungi that proliferate in particular on seeds stored in hot and conditions. They are highly carcinogenic.

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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

Research – Assessment of aflatoxin B1 in animal feed and aflatoxin M1 in raw milk samples of different species of milking animals from Punjab, Pakistan

Posted on March 7, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

The research was designed to investigate the amount of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in animal feed (corn, wheat bran, peanut cake, soybean meal, and cotton seed meal) and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in raw milk of animals (cow milk, buffalo milk, goat milk and sheep milk), from Punjab, Pakistan collected March 2017 till February 2018. The samples were examined with liquid chromatography, with a fluorescence detector. The findings demonstrated that 126 (65.3%) out of 193 samples of animal feed were found positive with AFB1, and 88 (45.6%) samples have levels higher than 5 μg/kg; positive samples are those whose levels of AFM1 ≥ LOD. The highest average amount of AFB1 was found in mustard oil cake meal (25.0 ± 4.5 μg/kg). Out of 278 samples of milk, 134 (48.2%) were found positive with AFM1, and 48 (17.3%) samples have levels of AFM1 higher than the European Union legal limit (i.e., 50 ng/L). The highest mean level of 70.5 ± 10.5 ng/L was found in raw milk of buffalo. The levels of AFM1 in milk from the urban region versus suburb region showed a significant difference (at α 0.05) except sheep milk samples, which presented a significant difference at α 0.01. Samples, 65 (64.4%) out of 140 from the urban region, and 69 (50%) from the suburb region were found positive with AFM1 in milk samples. The amount of AFB1 in animal feed and AFM1 in milk samples are comparatively high and could pose health hazards for local consumers.

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin m1, Animal Feed, Animal Feed Testing, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Toxin, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin

Belgium – Basmati rice sachet (1kg) – Ochratoxin A – Basmati Rice

Posted on March 5, 2021 by | Leave a comment

AFSCA

Recall of Carrefour
Product: Basmati rice sachet (1kg).
Problem: too high Ochratoxin A content in Basmati Rice.

Brussels, 04-03-2021 – Following a control and in order to guarantee the safety of the consumer, the SOUFFLET company asks to withdraw from the trade the “basmati rice” of the Carrefour brand (1kg) sold in the GROCERY department of certain Carrefour stores in Belgium. This product is also being recalled from consumers.

BASMATI RICE of the Carrefour brand
“Naturally flavored”
Conditioned by EMB 59606B
Product: Basmati rice sachet (1kg)
EAN: 3560070837984
Expiration date (DDM): 21/11/2022

Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin produced by several microscopic fungi
(genera Penicillium and Aspergillus) and is naturally present in many
plant products around the world, such as cereals, coffee beans, cocoa and
dried fruits.

Only a large quantity of contaminated products can lead to health
problems.

All products have been withdrawn from sale. Some of these products were however marketed on the Belgian market before the withdrawal measure. It is therefore recommended that people who hold the products described above do not consume them and destroy them or return them to the point of sale where they will be reimbursed.

For any further information, you can contact the Carrefour Belgium consumer service by dialing the free number 0800.9.10.11 , from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm, Monday to Saturday.

The SOUFFLET company apologizes to Carrefour customers for the inconvenience caused.

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Posted in afsca, Aspergillus, 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, Ochratoxin

RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin – Groundnuts – Brown Basmati Rice – Chicken Masala Spice Mix – Pistachios – Peanuts

Posted on March 5, 2021 by | Leave a comment

European Food Alerts

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 52.4; Tot. = 64.2 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Egypt in Italy

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 9.1 µg/kg – ppb) in organic brown basmati rice from Pakistan in the Netherlands

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 19.1; Tot. = 19.8 µg/kg – ppb) in chicken masala spice mix from Pakistan in Greece

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 10.6 µg/kg – ppb) in masala spice mix from Pakistan in Greece

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 14.1; Tot. = 14.8 µg/kg – ppb) in roasted and salted pistachios in shell from Turkey in Germany

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 20.9; Tot. = 13.4 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio kernels from Iran in Germany

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 18; Tot. = 21.3 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio kernels from Iran in Germany

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = > 2 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from the United States in Spain

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 34.2 mg/kg – ppm) in shelled pistachios from Iran, via Hong Kong in Italy

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 5.4; Tot. = 6.4 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Egypt in Germany

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 16.4; Tot. = 17.3 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from Iran in Germany

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 20; Tot. = 23 µg/kg – ppb) in peanuts from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 64.7; Tot. = 69.2 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios in shell from Iran in Italy

RASFF

aflatoxins (B1 = 11.42; Tot. = 15.70 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from Turkey in Austria

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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, Ochratoxin, RASFF, Toxin

RASFF Alert – Ochratoxin A – Organic Bread Rye

Posted on March 5, 2021 by | Leave a comment

European Food Alerts

RASFF

ochratoxin A (<0.15 to 19.07 µg/kg – ppb) in organic bread rye from Estonia in Germany

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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, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, Ochratoxin, RASFF

France – Product recall: Carrefour brand basmati rice 1kg bag – Ochratoxin A

Posted on March 4, 2021 by | Leave a comment

Oulah

Product recall: Carrefour brand basmati rice 1kg bag

ENCOUNTERED PROBLEM

Presence of Ochratoxin A

PROPOSED SOLUTION

Do not consume and return to the point of sale for reimbursement.

Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin produced by several microscopic fungi (genera Penicillium and Aspergillus) and is naturally present in many plant products around the world, such as cereals, coffee beans, cocoa and dried fruits.

FURTHER INFORMATION

▸ Barcode
3560070837984

▸ Lot
…

▸ DDM
11/21/2022

▸ Consumer service contact
For any further information, you can contact the Carrefour consumer service by dialing N ° Cristal 09 69 39 7000 – non-surcharged call from Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 7 pm.

▸ Source
https://www.carrefour.fr/

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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, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Moulds, Mycotoxin, Ochratoxin, Oulah, Toxin