The latest reports on possible fraud and other non-compliance raised by EU member states cover the handling of mineral water, traceability issues and problems with olive oil.
The number of suspected food and other fraud cases discussed in European countries fell in May. The 281 warnings are down from 341 in April, 345 in March and 318 in February, but are similar to January’s 277.
The issues identified may be fraudulent. Non-compliances listed may prompt investigations by EU member state authorities. Further details are included in monthly reports published by the European Commission.
The data includes suspected cross-border fraud topics shared among members of the Alert Collaboration Network (ACN) and obtained from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), the Administrative Support Collaboration Network (AAC) and the Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN).
This includes food, animal feed, food contact materials, farm animal welfare, plant protection products and veterinary medicines that may remain as residues or contaminants in food or feed.
The objective is to support national authorities in developing risk-based controls to combat fraud and deceptive practices, assist in vulnerability assessments of the food sector and identify emerging risks.
Summary of selected cases
In total, 89 notices mentioned fruits and vegetables. Diet foods, supplements and fortified foods came in second with 44 warnings, followed by cereals and bakery products with 24 notices.
The majority of the problems were discovered through border inspections or market controls, although some were discovered through whistle-blower tips or food poisoning cases. In total, 24 cases were discovered as a result of consumer complaints and 15 through internal company investigations.
In May, there were 10 alerts related to the US, including cheese sauce and coffee creamer powder that had slipped through border checks, L-theanine in energy drinks, titanium dioxide in candy and a dietary supplement ingredient not approved in Europe.
The product tampering and counterfeiting cases, which covered all countries, included sugar in honey, mechanically separated meat in meat snacks, and robusta beans in arabica coffee.
Examples of unapproved processes include adding water to wine, UV disinfection and activated charcoal filtration of French natural mineral water, ethylene oxide in spice mixes and chili powders, and the use of Sudan I in adjika sauce.
Documented cases of falsification included misrepresenting the quality and labelling of olive oil, the absence of caramel in milk caramel, and a variety of health claims.
Other problems cited included the inclusion of inedible ingredients in pickled olives and peppers, the theft of a 21-tonne cargo including ham, the illegal import of sausages from Serbia and chocolate from Peru, and falsified export certificates for raspberries and blueberries.
Examples of non-compliance include ingredients not approved in the EU and the use of pesticides above maximum residue limits (MRLs). Other red flags are due to concerns about traceability and products that have missed border controls.
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