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 y 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Consumers can be reassured that products subject to an alert notification have been withdrawn or are in the process of being withdrawn from the market.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 (and the EEA1).
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.
The notifications reported in the weekly overviews published on the European Commission's web site are so-called "original notifications", representing a new case reported on a health risk detected in one or more consignments of a food or feed. On these cases, control authorities are exchanging additional information on measures taken and outcome of investigations. This information does not appear in the publicly accessible weekly overviews.
Newly added columns are the "type of control" and "status" columns.
The type of control column indicates what type of control lay at the basis of the notification:
• border control – import rejected: controls at the border posts of the outer EU (and EEA.) borders when the consignment was not accepted for import (“import rejected”);
• border control – screening sample: notification initiated through a sample taken at a border post for analysis but the consignment was meanwhile released to the market (“screening sample”);
• market control: official control on the EU (and EEA) internal market;
• company own-check: notification initiated through a company notifying the outcome of an owncheck to the competent authority;
• consumer complaint: notification initiated through a consumer lodging a complaint with the competent authority; notifications initiated through reported food poisoning outbreaks are classified under this category.
The status column is a combination of two values, "distribution status" and "action taken".
The distribution status indicates knowledge existing at the time of notification about the possible distribution of the product on the market. The concept "market" is to be interpreted in a geographical way: "the internal Community market" i.e. this does not necessarily mean that the product is already on the shelves available to consumers, as often it is not.
The action taken represents the action already taken by the notifying country at the time of notification. If "no action taken" is given for an alert notification, this normally indicates that the product is not on the market of the notifying country (therefore: no action taken by the notifying country) but it may be on the market of other member countries.
Another addition to the table is the insertion between brackets of the outcome of the analysis to the "reason for notifying" column, whenever that information is available. This information allows evaluating the seriousness of the notified finding.
Week 2007/15
TABLE 1: alert NOTIFICATIONS
Notifications in blue typeface concern feed, all other notifications concern food.
| DATE: | NOTIFIED BY: | REF.: | REASON FOR NOTIFYING: | TYPE OF | STATUS |
| | | | | CONTROL: | |
| 10/04/2007 | the Czech Republic | 2007.AWQ | aflatoxins (B1 = 27.8; Tot. = 31.8 μg/kg - ppb) in roasted and salted pistachio nuts in shell from Iran and from the Czech Republic, via Germany | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / withdrawal from sale |
| 10/04/2007 | Italy | 2007.AWR | unauthorised colour Sudan 1 (3.8 mg/kg - ppm) in dried ground chilli pepper from Cameroon | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 10/04/2007 | the Czech Republic | 2007.AWS | aflatoxins (B1 = 7.5; Tot. = 8.4 μg/kg - ppb) in roasted and salted pistachio nuts from the Czech Republic, raw material from Iran via the Slovak Republic | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / withdrawal from sale |
| 10/04/2007 | Italy | 2007.AWT | bad state of preservation of semolina manioc from Cameroon | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 10/04/2007 | Italy | 2007.AWU | Salmonella spp in dog chew from Germany | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / recall from recipients |
| 10/04/2007 | Italy | 2007.AWV | histamine in fresh tuna slices from Sri Lanka via France | market control | product expired (exceeded use-by date) / product detained |
| 10/04/2007 | Italy | 2007.AWW | E 210 - benzoic acid (667 mg/l) unauthorised in noni juice from the United States | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 10/04/2007 | Italy | 2007.AWX | E 210 - benzoic acid (79. mg/kg - ppm) unauthorised in noni juice from the United States | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 10/04/2007 | Denmark | 2007.AWY | Campylobacter (in 11/12 samples: 300-3900 CFU/g) in fresh whole chicken from France | market control | product expired (exceeded use-by date) / product detained |
| 10/04/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AWZ | aflatoxins (B1 = 39; Tot. = 44 μg/kg - ppb) in melon seeds from Nigeria | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) destroyed |
| 10/04/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AXA | aflatoxins (B1 = 17; Tot. = 20 μg/kg - ppb) in melon seeds from Nigeria | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) destroyed |
| 10/04/2007 | Latvia | 2007.AXB | unauthorised substance sulphathiazole (119 μg/kg - ppb) in natural bee honey from Ukraine | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / recall from recipients |
| 11/04/2007 | Germany | 2007.AXC | aflatoxins (B1 = 46.3; Tot. = 49.4 / B1 = ND; Tot. = ND / B1 = ND; Tot. = ND μg/kg - ppb) in raw pistachio nuts with shell from Iran | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 11/04/2007 | the Netherlands | 2007.AXD | aflatoxins (B1 = 5.4; Tot. = 6.0 μg/kg - ppb) in groundnut kernels from Argentina | border control - import rejected | no distribution / destination of the product changed |
| 11/04/2007 | Finland | 2007.AXE | migration of nickel (34; 37 mg/dm²) from metal wine pourer from India | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 11/04/2007 | Norway | 2007.AXF | migration of DINP - di-isononyl phthalate (470 mg/kg - ppm) from lids of jars containing satay sauce from Thailand | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / prohibition to trade - sales ban |
| 11/04/2007 | Slovenia | 2007.AXG | mercury (2.26 mg/kg - ppm) in swordfish ( Xiphias gladius ) from Vietnam | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 11/04/2007 | Spain | 2007.AXH | aflatoxins (B1 = 1.44 / B1 = 0.87 / B1 = 5.45 μg/kg - ppb) in blanched peanuts from China | border control - import rejected | no distribution / reinforced checking |
| 11/04/2007 | Germany | 2007.AXI | aflatoxins (B1 = 174; Tot. = 184 μg/kg - ppb) in dried chilli powder from Pakistan | market control | no stock left / no action taken |
| 11/04/2007 | Norway | 2007.AXJ | migration of DIDP - diisodecyl phthalate (210 mg/kg - ppm) from lids of jars of hot soya bean paste from Thailand | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / prohibition to trade - sales ban |
| 11/04/2007 | Norway | 2007.AXK | migration of DINP - di-isononyl phthalate (190 mg/kg - ppm) from lids of jars containing Thai sauce from Thailand | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / prohibition to trade - sales ban |
| 11/04/2007 | the Netherlands | 2007.AXL | aflatoxins (B1 = 118.9; Tot. = 135.1 / B1 = 57.3; Tot. = 64.5 μg/kg - ppb) in groundnuts from the United States | border control - import rejected | no distribution / destination of the product changed |
| 11/04/2007 | Norway | 2007.AXM | migration of DINP - di-isononyl phthalate (400 mg/kg - ppm) from lids of jars containing minced red chilli from Thailand | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / public recall |
| 11/04/2007 | Poland | 2007.AXN | Salmonella in soybean meal from Argentina | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 11/04/2007 | Norway | 2007.AXO | migration of DINP - di-isononyl phthalate (340 mg/kg - ppm) from lids of jars containing minced garlic from Thailand | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / public recall |
| 11/04/2007 | Germany | 2007.AXP | parasitic infestation with pleroceroids of fresh swordfish fillets from Sri Lanka | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) destroyed |
| 11/04/2007 | Norway | 2007.AXQ | migration of DINP - di-isononyl phthalate (355 mg/kg - ppm) from lids of jars containing chilli oil from China | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / public recall |
| 11/04/2007 | Norway | 2007.AXR | migration of DEHP - di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (205 mg/kg - ppm) and of DIDP -diisodecyl phthalate (185 mg/kg - ppm) from lids on jars containing chilli paste with sweet basil leaves from Thailand | market control | no stock left / public warning - press release |
| 12/04/2007 | France | 2007.AXS | aflatoxins (B1 = 20.1; Tot. = 23.6 μg/kg - ppb) in hazelnut kernels from Turkey | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 12/04/2007 | France | 2007.AXT | aflatoxins (B1 = 16.6; Tot. = 30.6 μg/kg - ppb) in hazelnut kernels from Turkey | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 13/04/2007 | Germany | 2007.AXU | unauthorised colour Sudan 4 (24.41 mg/kg - ppm) in palm oil from Ghana | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / product (to be) destroyed |
| 13/04/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AXV | absence of health certificate(s) for satay sauce from China (Hong Kong) | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 13/04/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AXW | absence of health certificate(s) for peanut oil from China (Hong Kong) | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 13/04/2007 | Greece | 2007.AXX | aflatoxins (B1 < 0.18; Tot. < 0.62 / B1 < 0.18; Tot. < 0.62 / B1 = 5.6; Tot. = 39.6 μg/kg - ppb) in peanut kernels (arachis) from China | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 13/04/2007 | Greece | 2007.AXY | too high content of colour E 100 - Curcumin (3.2 g/kg) in curry powder from India | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 13/04/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AXZ | unauthorised substance nitrofuran (metabolite) -nitrofurazone (SEM) (9.1 μg/kg - ppb) in frozen raw brown head-on shrimps from Bangladesh | border control - screening sample | information on distribution not (yet) available / product (to be) returned to dispatcher |
| 13/04/2007 | Italy | 2007.AYA | bad state of preservation (sprouted) and mould infestation of yam from Côte d'Ivoire | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) re-dispatched |
| 13/04/2007 | Lithuania | 2007.AYB | suffocation risk as a result of the consumption of spray candy from China | border control - import rejected | no distribution / product (to be) destroyed |
| 13/04/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AYC | unauthorised substance nitrofuran (metabolite) -nitrofurazone (SEM) (7.5 mg/kg - ppm) in frozen freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) from Bangladesh | market control | no distribution / withdrawal from sale |
| 13/04/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AYD | unauthorised substance nitrofuran (metabolite) -furazolidone (AOZ) (1.4 μg/kg - ppb) in frozen raw tilapia fillets from China | market control | distribution restricted to notifying country / recall from recipients |
