A few days ago, the main department of the State Food and Consumer Service in the Odessa region announced that it had received a notification from the RASFF rapid response system for food and feed about the detection of aflatoxins in walnut kernels exported from Ukraine to Germany.
In ZN's comment. UA in. Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection Olga Shevchenko spoke about what will happen to the batch upon return to Ukraine, and also about whether the buyer can recognize a potentially dangerous product on store shelves.
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[quote type\u003d" UA" To date, 12 types of aflatoxins are known, the most toxic of which is B1.. When ingested, substances are concentrated in the liver. In acute aflatoxicosis, necrosis and fatty degeneration of the liver, impaired coordination, paresis, convulsions, hemorrhages, ascites, diarrhea, kidney necrosis are observed.. Possible development of cirrhosis and primary liver cancer. [/quote].
The size of the party and its fate upon returning to Ukraine.
According to the Service, the volume of the exported batch, in which aflatoxins were detected, amounted to 18,700 kg.. Upon return to our country, if the harmfulness of the product is proven, its production and circulation will be stopped.
“According to Article 32 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Basic Principles and Requirements for Safety and Quality of Food Products”, in the event of receipt of evidence of the harmfulness of a food product, despite its compliance with the legislation on safety and certain indicators of food quality, the production and circulation of such a food product must be stopped.
Now the Service is considering a report on the detection of aflatoxins in Ukrainian nuts and is taking measures in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine.
What foods are most commonly found to contain aflatoxins?.
Shevchenko noted that aflatoxins are rarely detected in Ukrainian products. They mainly affect nuts, beans, corn and other cereals.. Sources of aflatoxins are foods that have been contaminated with mold and stored under conditions conducive to the production of toxins..
“In general, the main problem of mycotoxicosis is a violation of storage conditions, so the issue of mycotoxins is much more relevant in the context of feed production,” she added..
Is it possible to independently identify a dangerous product on store shelves.
According to Shevchenko, outwardly you can see only the mold that has appeared on the product.. May also alert the appearance or taste, the product may be bitter or taste different than usual. But the only way to accurately determine the presence of a toxin is by using a laboratory method..
“Mycotoxicosis can be prevented by careful product selection, reducing the water content in raw materials and ensuring appropriate storage conditions,” the State Food and Consumer Service emphasized..
What is RASFF.
The European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) is a system for the rapid exchange of information on the presence of a risk to human health associated with food and feed.
The system was created by the European Commission (EC) in accordance with the Regulation of the European Parliament and (EC) No 178/2002 of January 28, 2002 as a network for notification of direct or indirect risks to human health associated with food or feed. States are involved in the operation of the system. If a network member has information about a serious direct or indirect risk to human health associated with food or feed, this information is immediately reported to the EC through the rapid alert system. The EC communicates this information to the members of the network without delay.
In the event of a RASFF message, the State Food and Consumer Service immediately informs the territorial bodies of the State Food and Consumer Service in the regions and the city of Kyiv, the interregional main departments of the State Food and Consumer Service at the border and the State Fiscal Service (if necessary).
If dangerous food or feed products specified in the RASFF information message were imported into the customs territory of Ukraine and put into circulation, the market operator (importer) recalls such products and takes measures to return them to the exporting country or dispose of them on the territory of Ukraine in accordance with.
In turn, the territorial bodies of the State Food and Consumer Service in the regions and cities.
Kiev and the interregional main departments of the State Food and Consumer Service at the border, based on the results of the work carried out and the measures taken, in accordance with the laws of Ukraine “On State Control over Compliance with Legislation on Food, Feed, Animal By-Products, Animal Health and Welfare” and “On the Basic Principles and.
The State Food and Consumer Service informs the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission about the measures taken by the Ukrainian side regarding the relevant message received through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF)..