Food safety and hygiene newsletter June 2024

This is an electronic newsletter updating regulations and laws on food hygiene and safety in domestic and international markets, June 2024 issue.

USA

• May 10, 2024: Remove Cyflumetofen criteria in specific platforms such as Cucumber and Strawberry, instead limit it for the groups below:
  

  Commodity	Parts per million
  Berry, low growing, subgroup 13-07G	0.6
  Fruit, small, vine climbing, except fuzzy kiwifruit, subgroup 13-07F	0.6
  Vegetable, cucurbit, group 9	0.3

  Read more here: https://www.ecfr.gov/compare/2024-05-10/to/2024-05-09/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-180/subpart-C/section-180.677

• May 15, 2024: Added Tetraniliprole indicator to the Dry Tea base with a limit of 80. Removed Cyantraniliprole indicator in the Olive Oil base specifically and added gender changes to the groups below:
  

  Commodity	Parts per million
  Avocado	0.4
  Grape, table	2
  Grape, wine	2
  Herb, dried leaves, subgroup 25B	150
  Herb, fresh leaves, subgroup 25A	40
  Hop, dried cones	70
  Mango	0.7
  Olive	3
  Papaya	1.5
  Spice crop group 26	80
  Vegetable, fruiting, group 8-10	2
  Vegetable, legume, dried shelled, bean, edible podded, subgroup 6-22A	2
  Vegetable, legume, bean, succulent shelled, subgroup 6-22C	0.3
  Vegetable, legume, forage and hay, except soybean, subgroup 7-22A	40
  Vegetable, legume, pea, edible podded, subgroup 6A6-22B	2
  Vegetable, legume, pea, succulent shelled, subgroup 6B6-22D	0.3
  Vegetable, legume, pulse, bean, dried shelled, except soybean, subgroup 6-22E	1
  Vegetable, legume, pulse, pea, dried shelled, subgroup 6-22F	1

  Detail here:

  https://www.ecfr.gov/compare/2024-05-15/to/2024-05-14/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-180/subpart-C/section-180.672

  https://www.ecfr.gov/compare/2024-05-15/to/2024-05-14/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-180/subpart-C/section-180.709

EU

EU Rapid Alert System (June 20024): product does not comply with regulations.

During May 2024, there were 448 warning notices on the RASFF Portal including 413 food warnings, 21 animal feed warnings and 14 food contact material warnings.

In food, fruits and vegetables are still the products that account for the most cases (16.9%), followed by poultry and poultry meat products (16%), nuts, and seed products ( 10.9%). Warnings to keep in mind this month include:

• Microbiology: Most notable was the detection of Salmonella in poultry products originating from Brazil (42 warnings); discovered norovirus in oysters originating from the Netherlands

• Pesticides: Detecting residues of the banned active ingredient Ethylene oxide from spice and sauce products originating from India; Chlopyrifos still remains in fruit and vegetable products, and the frequency of acetamiprid residue exceeding the MRL threshold is quite frequent.

• Food additive: detected too high content of preservative benzoic acid in soft drinks. Notably, there is a warning that the colorant is not allowed to be used. Titanium dioxide in this product originates from Syria. In another case, a warning was issued about detecting the banned colorant Ponceau 4R in strawberry syrup. In addition, there is a warning that the sulfur dioxide content is too high in dried fruits from Afghanistan.

Vietnam in May had 10 cases from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece and the Netherlands. There are many banned active ingredients such as hexaconazole, methamidophos, acephate, chlopyrifo, permethrin, chlorfenapyr, propiconazole discovered in fresh chili and durian. Regarding the group of notable pollutants, the "permanent compound" perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was detected in the processed mollusk sample matrix. The antibiotic group noted the violation of residues of the banned substance group nitrofuran in white shrimp and leucomalachite green in frozen yellow catfish.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1662 of 11 June 2024 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793

On the temporary increase in official control measures and emergency measures governing the accession to the Union of certain goods implemented by certain third countries.

On 11 June 2024, the EU issued regulation (EU) 2024/1662 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 on temporary increases in official controls and emergency measures to manage the accession to the Union of certain goods from several third countries implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and the Council, with the following main contents:

• Capsicum peppers (except sweet peppers): have been subject to increasing levels of official control due to the risk of pesticide residue contamination since January 2013. However, there are still many cases of non-compliance. determined. Therefore, chili peppers in Annex I of the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 will move to Annex II of this Regulation, with a physical inspection frequency of 50% of shipments entering the EU.
• Instant noodles containing spices or sauces officially removed from EU control list: Vietnamese instant noodles have been subject to increasing levels of official control due to the risk of Ethylene Oxide (EO) contamination since December 2021. Accordingly, Vietnam has complied with EU regulations. Therefore, the level of official control is no longer reasonable for this item and is removed in Annex I of the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793.
• Pitahaya (Dragon fruit): high non-compliance rates for pesticide residue contamination have been detected during official controls by Member States. Therefore, the EU increased the inspection frequency to 30% with food safety certification from a third country confirming.
• For Okra and Durian: keep the same inspection frequency, with Okra being 50% in Appendix II, Durian being 10% in Appendix I.

Note:

• ANNEX I: Food and feed of non-animal origin from certain third countries are subject to temporary increased official controls at checkpoints and border control points.
• ANNEX II: Food and feed from certain third countries are subject to special conditions for entry into the Union due to the risk of contamination by mycotoxins, including aflatoxin, pesticide residues, Microbial contamination, Sudan dye, Rhodamine B and plant toxins.

This regulation takes effect from July 2, 2024.

Detail here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/1662/oj

China

Official dispatch of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Department of the General Department of Customs announcing the discovery that durian from Vietnam does not meet the standards for export to China dated June 12, 2024

Official dispatch from the Animal and Plant Quarantine Department of the General Department of Customs announcing: A total of 77 batches of durian were found to contain Cadmium content exceeding the allowed limit.

Starting from June 12, 2024, China decided to suspend durian imports from 15 packing factories and 18 orchards.

Enterprises should note that in testing Cadmium in Durian with the maximum allowed level of 0.05 mg/kg (current regulation GB 2762-2022 in the Fresh Fruit group)

Details attached

Read more related news

• Commission regulation (EU) 2024/891
• Updated legal regulations on food safety in force from November 2023
• Update on the latest changes and regulations in the EU market
• How worried should you be about Aspartame?
• Update valid regulations from 2023
• Sesame allergen labeling required in the US market
• Update on food nutrition labeling regulations 2022
• Latest updates on Ethylene Oxide regulations in the EU market
• Mineral oil (MOSH/MOAH) contamination in Food
• Analysis Furan and Alkylfurans residues in food

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