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 by 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Consumers can be reassured that products subject to an alert notification have been withdrawn or are in the process of being withdrawn from the market.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.
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.
Week 2007/13 Notifications in blue typeface concern feed, all other notifications concern food.
TABLE 1: alert NOTIFICATIONS
| DATE: | NOTIFIED BY: | REF.: | REASON FOR NOTIFYING: | COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: |
| 27/03/2007 | the Czech Republic | 2007.0233 | illegal import of frozen rabbit meat | CHINA VIA GERMANY |
| 28/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.0234 | mercury in smoked swordfish (Xiphias gladius) | DENMARK |
| 28/03/2007 | Denmark | 2007.0235 | Salmonella Hadar in minced turkey meat | GERMANY |
| 28/03/2007 | Spain | 2007.0236 | E 284 - boric acid unauthorised in frozen Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) | THE UNITED KINGDOM |
| 29/03/2007 | Poland | 2007.0237 | unauthorised herbal feed additive with assigned medicinal properties | INDIA VIA ITALY |
| 29/03/2007 | Estonia | 2007.0238 | unauthorised novel food ingredient noni in food supplement capsules | INDonESIA VIA LATVIA |
| 29/03/2007 | Lithuania | 2007.0239 | glass fragments in long grain rice | GREECE |
| 29/03/2007 | Hungary | 2007.0240 | oxamyl in cucumber | TURKEY VIA GERMANY |
| 29/03/2007 | the Czech Republic | 2007.0241 | mould infestation and infestation with larvae of insects of dried pitted prunes | CHILE VIA THE UNITED KINGDOM |
| 29/03/2007 | Hungary | 2007.0242 | blood and feather meal in fish meal | POLAND |
| 30/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.0243 | suffocation risk as a result of the consumption of marshmallow sweets | SPAIN |
| 30/03/2007 | Germany | 2007.0244 | cyanide in apricot kernels | UNKNOWN ORIGIN VIA AUSTRIA |
| 30/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.0245 | undeclared milk ingredient in ready meal with rice and chicken | THE UNITED KINGDOM |
| 30/03/2007 | Germany | 2007.0246 | Salmonella in vanilla-flavoured halva (sweet containing sesame seed paste) | TURKEY |
| 30/03/2007 | Spain | 2007.0247 | unauthorised substance isofenphos-methyl in red peppers | SPAIN |
TABLE 2: INFORMATION NOTIFICATIONS
Notifications in blue typeface concern feed, all other notifications concern food.
| DATE: | NOTIFIED BY: | REF.: | REASON FOR NOTIFYING: | COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: |
| 26/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.ATM | aflatoxins in peanut paste | GHANA |
| 26/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.ATN | aflatoxins in peanut paste | GHANA |
| 26/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.ATO | aflatoxins in peanut paste | GHANA |
| 26/03/2007 | Finland | 2007.ATP | benzo(a)pyrene in sesame oil | CHINA (HONG KONG) |
| 26/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.ATQ | Salmonella in dog chew | INDIA |
| 26/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.ATR | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 26/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.ATS | mercury in blue shark | CHINA VIA SPAIN |
| 26/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.ATT | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.ATU | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.ATV | aflatoxins in pistachios with shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.ATW | aflatoxins in pistachios in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.ATX | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.ATY | aflatoxins in pistachios in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.ATZ | aflatoxins in pistachios in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.AUA | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.AUB | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.AUC | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.AUD | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Hungary | 2007.AUE | tetracycline unauthorised in honey | UKRAINE |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.AUF | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.AUG | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Belgium | 2007.AUH | unauthorised substance nitrofuran (metabolite) - furazolidone (AOZ) in frozen black tiger shrimps (Penaeus monodon) | INDIA |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.AUI | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.AUJ | aflatoxins in pistachio nuts in shell | IRAN |
| 27/03/2007 | Finland | 2007.AUK | Salmonella Lexington in frozen lime leaves | THAILAND |
| 27/03/2007 | Poland | 2007.AUL | aflatoxins in peanut kernels | CHINA |
| 27/03/2007 | the Czech Republic | 2007.AUM | Listeria monocytogenes in slices of smoked Norwegian salmon | POLAND |
| 27/03/2007 | Sweden | 2007.AUN | omethoate in Chinese broccoli (Brassica oleracea, var. alboglabra) | THAILAND |
| 27/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AUO | aflatoxins in peanut snack | PAKISTAN |
| 27/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AUP | unauthorised substance leucomalachite green in catfish | THAILAND |
| 27/03/2007 | Spain | 2007.AUQ | too high content of sulphite in red wine | URUGUAY |
| 28/03/2007 | Greece | 2007.AUR | unlabeled irradiation and irradiation in an unauthorised facility of dried vegetables | CHINA |
| 28/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AUS | altered organoleptic characteristics of sardines in tomato sauce | MOROCCO |
| 28/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AUT | aflatoxins in Aji Limo chilli powder | PERU |
| 28/03/2007 | Germany | 2007.AUU | parasitic infestation with pleroceroids of swordfish (Xiphias Glateus) fillets | SRI LANKA |
| 28/03/2007 | the United Kingdom | 2007.AUV | unauthorised irradiation of food supplement | THE UNITED STATES |
| 28/03/2007 | Poland | 2007.AUW | aflatoxins in dried figs | TURKEY |
| 29/03/2007 | Poland | 2007.AUX | unsuitable means of transport for bulk raw sunflower oil | UKRAINE |
| 29/03/2007 | Poland | 2007.AUY | unsuitable means of transport for bulk raw sunflower oil | UKRAINE |
| 29/03/2007 | Sweden | 2007.AUZ | unauthorised substance dicrotophos in Chinese broccoli (Brassica oleracea, var. alboglabra) | THAILAND |
| 29/03/2007 | Poland | 2007.AVA | too high content of sulphite in and insufficient labelling of "petit beurre" biscuits | TURKEY |
| 29/03/2007 | Germany | 2007.AVB | Salmonella in peeled sesame seeds | INDIA |
| 30/03/2007 | Italy | 2007.AVC | chlorpyriphos in bitter melons | SRI LANKA |
| 30/03/2007 | Germany | 2007.AVD | unauthorised colour Sudan 4 in sumak | UNKNOWN ORIGIN |
| 30/03/2007 | Poland | 2007.AVE | unsuitable means of transport for bulk apple juice concentrate | MOLDOVA |
| 30/03/2007 | the Netherlands | 2007.AVF | omethoate and dimethoate in bitter melons (Momordica charantia) | SURINAME |
| 30/03/2007 | Hungary | 2007.AVG | methomyl in peppers | EGYPT |
| 30/03/2007 | Greece | 2007.AVH | unauthorised genetically modified rice protein concentrate | CHINA (HONG KONG) |
| 30/03/2007 | Spain | 2007.AVI | unauthorised colour Rhodamine B in rice crackers mix | CHINA |
TABLE 4: WITHDRAWALS OF PREVIOUS NOTIFICATIONS
| DATE: | REF.: | NOTIFI-CATION: | OF WEEK | REASON FOR WITHDRAWAL: |
| 29/03/2007 | inf01 | 2007.0166 | 9 | Notifications 2007.0124 and 2007.0166 are based on the same analytical report. For that reason notification 2007.0166 is withdrawn. |
| 26/03/2007 | add02 | 2007.ARO | 11 | Following favourable results of the quantitative analysis performed, this notification is withdrawn. |
| 26/03/2007 | inf02 | 2007.0207 | 12 | Referring to Commission Decision 2005/34/EC of 11 January 2005 laying down harmonised standards for the testing for certain residues in products of animal origin imported from third countries, the Austrian contact point agrees to withdraw this notification upon request by the Commission. |
| 26/03/2007 | inf02 | 2007.0209 | 12 | Referring to Commission Decision 2005/34/EC of 11 January 2005 laying down harmonised standards for the testing for certain residues in products of animal origin imported from third countries, the Austrian contact point agrees to withdraw this notification upon request by the Commission. |
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