Food Law News - UK - 2017

FSA Enforcement Letter (ENF/E/17/040), 19 June 2017

ADULTERATION – Information on Potential Emerging Risks

The following is some information included in a notice entitled ‘Early Warning System for Imported Food & Feed, June 2016 –May 2017’. Although mostly providing information on RASFF notifications, the letter includes the following additional information:

New signals from sources other than RASFF information:

Potential emerging risks based on non-RASFF sources, and identified as being of particular interest in May 2017:

FERA HorizonScan tool, 26 May 2017 – High risk of adulteration in Chinese garlic

• Chinese garlic powder may be contaminated with a range of adulterants, including peanut, talcum or chalk. Garlic powder is at very high risk of food fraud at the moment (early 2017), with serious supply issues in China, the world's largest exporter. Speculators have purchased huge quantities of garlic in China after prices almost doubled in the past year. Dried and powdered garlic are at higher risk of adulteration than whole bulbs. All types are at risk of undeclared preservatives or additives, misrepresentation of organic status or origin, illegal importing.
• http://www.vancouversun.com/health/crop+bust+raises+concerns+about+garlic+powder/13285305/story.html

FERA HorizonScan tool, 27 May 2017 – Adulterated chilli and turmeric powders seized in India

• A large amount of adulterated chilli powder has been seized in Ghaziabad, just 20 km east of New Delhi. Inedible colours injurious to health have frequently been added. In the 2016-17 financial year, 568 samples were taken from different vendors, shops and establishments, of which 152 samples failed the quality test. Officials said the majority of the samples were either food products that were found substandard or of other makes to pass them under labels of popular brands.
• http://www.hindustantimes.com/noida/ghaziabad-chilli-powder-samples-to-be-tested-for-adulteration/story-lOd7FLTXYKF7aokec1ppvJ.html

FERA HorizonScan tool, 2 June 2017 – Banned substances in food supplements

• The Dutch Food Safety Authority (NVWA) has released a new report looking at supplements they investigated in 2015 and 2016. More than 60% of the 160 samples taken were found to contain one or more banned substances such as sildenafil, sibutramine and synephrine.
• http://www.nutraingredients.com/Regulation-Policy/Dutch-authorities-warn-on-banned-substances-in-supplements-again

For the full notice, see: https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/enf-e-17-040.pdf