Large amounts of locust bean gum (E410) in the EU are contaminated.
France recalls masses of articles - how well are consumers in Germany protected?
Munich - The food manufacturer Mars has finally taken various types of ice cream off the market in Germany that have not been allowed to be sold in other European countries for a long time. The reason: possible contamination with the carcinogenic substance ethylene oxide. The consumer protection organization Foodwatch had put pressure on the group, which described the products as "not harmful", but had already taken them off the market in other countries.
A mass recall of further products from different companies could now be imminent.
Products that contain the thickening agent locust bean gum (E410) from Turkey could generally be affected, including many jams, ice creams, meat products, yogurt and salad dressings.
France is already recalling numerous products from various manufacturers due to ethylene oxide contamination, including rusks, sweet biscuits, burgers, cereals, dietary supplements, sweets and pralines, desserts, spices, cheeses and many more.
Locust bean gum from Turkey may be contaminated
Foodwatch has been warning about the contamination of food with ethylene oxide for weeks. The highly flammable gas is used by the food industry for disinfection. However, due to its carcinogenic effect, the substance is banned in the European Union. In autumn last year, the EU sounded the alarm about the discovery of ethylene oxide in sesame seeds from India. But now, during controls, traces of the gas are repeatedly found in products that contain the thickening agent locust bean gum (E410). In June, for example, food inspectors in Spain sounded the alarm when they found
the fumigant ethylene oxide in locust bean gum from Turkey, according to
a report in the
food
newspaper.
Last year alone, Germany imported 361 tons of the thickener made from locust bean gum from Turkey.
This is based on data from the Federal Statistical Office.
In total, that's around twelve percent of the total import of 2,929 tons.
Other suppliers of locust bean gum are Italy (947 tons), Spain (587 tons) and Switzerland (961 tons).
Ethylene oxide pollution: this is how Germany reacts
While other countries are already initiating recalls, there is disagreement in Germany about the potential danger of ethylene oxide. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the following applies: Products must only be withdrawn from the market if ethylene oxide can be “reliably detected above the limit of quantification” in the end product. In the case of the ice cream from Mars, which has now been recalled, the food association said in advance: “In the case of ice cream, based on the analysis results available to date for the stabilizer, it is assumed that the amounts of ethylene oxide are so small that they can no longer be reliably determined analytically . "
An EU body “Food and Feed Crisis Coordinators” met at the end of 2020 to discuss the EU-wide problem.
On July 13th, the member countries agreed to recall all potentially affected products.
France, Spain and many other countries responded, but Germany hesitates.
"Official measures cannot only be based on statements by the Commission," says the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Consumer Protection.
In EU Regulation 2015/868, the maximum permitted level for the sum of ethylene oxide and the conversion product 2-chloroethanol was set at 0.05 mg / kg.
If this value is exceeded in the end product, the product is no longer marketable.
Mass recall in the supermarket?
That's what the manufacturers say
According to a request from the
food
newspaper, the ice cream manufacturer Unilever leaves
it open as to whether the affected carob gum batches were used in production. However, the manufacturer of Lagnese ice cream says: “All ice cream products are safe for consumption.” The Froneri Group states that “an ingredient has briefly exceeded the limit value”, but it “no longer exists” in the end products.
The importer of Carob Kernel Roeper from Hamburg, meanwhile, speaks of a "Gau". How the ethylene oxide got into the preliminary product is currently being “determined at high pressure”. Roeper reclaimed the unprocessed goods and asked customers to conduct a risk analysis, the
food newspaper
continues. The bottom line is that this problem also makes the carob gum additive more expensive. That could lead to a further increase in food prices.
It is currently not clear whether food manufacturers in Germany will now consider a precautionary recall due to increasing public pressure. The recall from Mars is only the tip of the iceberg, warns Foodwatch and demands: “The responsible authorities must now finally check all manufacturers who use E410 and, if necessary, order recalls. A carcinogenic substance has no place in our food. "
