In order to keep the Indian exporters informed of the rejections faced by Indian products in the EU and to take preventive actions FIEO is forwarding the Rapid Alert Systems for Food and Feed (RASFF) and for Non-Food Consumer Products (RAPEX) alerts on a weekly basis.

The alerts from EU generated during 10th - 16th November 2020 are as under: 

1. Alerts issued on 11, 12, 13 Nov 2020 by Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland regarding rejections of non-organic and organic Indian sesame seeds

• Alerts issued regarding unauthorised substance ethylene oxide in various proportions - (6.6 mg/kg - ppm), (> 5.0 mg/kg - ppm), (2.3 mg/kg - ppm), (2.2 mg/kg - ppm), (0.33 mg/kg - ppm), (0.053 mg/kg - ppm) and other various proportions found in hulled/unhulled sesame seeds from India

2. Alert: Unauthorised substance ethylene oxide (0.90 mg/kg - ppm) in bakery mix from India

• Notification from: Netherlands
• Risk: Serious
• Notification type: Company's own check
• Date: 16-11-2020

3. Alert: Unauthorised substance ethylene oxide (between 0.48 and 4.6 mg/kg - ppm) in sesame seeds from India and the Netherlands used in baking mixes from Germany

• Notification from: Germany
• Risk: Serious
• Notification type: Company's own check
• Action Taken: Detained by operator
• Date: 13-11-2020

4. Alert: Unauthorised substance ethylene oxide (0.21 mg/kg - ppm) in sesame seeds used in organic seeds mixes from Italy, with raw material from India, via the Netherlands

• Notification from: Italy
• Risk: Serious
• Notification type: Company's own check
• Action Taken: Recall from consumers
• Date: 13-11-2020

5. Alert: Unauthorised substance ethylene oxide in organic sesame seeds from India used in white tahini and hummus from Spain

• Notification from: Spain
• Risk: Serious
• Notification type: company's own check
• Action Taken: destruction
• Date: 16-11-2020

6. Alert: Aflatoxins (B1 = 12.6 µg/kg - ppb) in chilli powder from India

• Notification from: United Kingdom
• Risk: Serious
• Notification type: border control - consignment detained
• Action Taken: destruction
• Date: 11-11-2020 

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