Withdrawal of smoked mackerel using fraudulent health mark
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
| Summary |
|---|
| Category 1: | For Action |
| Alert Notification: | 2010.04 |
| Product: | smoked mackerel (Vacuum Pack hot smoked and loose cold smoked) |
| Batch Code: | all |
| Country Of Origin: | United Kingdom |
Message:
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has been informed by the Food Standards Agency, Northern Ireland that smoked mackerel products have been produced in a premises in Northern Ireland which has not been registered or approved. As the products were produced in an unapproved premises they do not comply with Regulation (EC) 853/2004.
The Products are unwrapped cold smoked mackerel sold loose and vacuum pack hot smoked mackerel. The vacuum pack hot smoked marckerel is labelled 'The Smoke House'. Some of the products bear the health mark UK 9502 EC, which is the approval number of an unrelated legitimate food business. (see photos below)
Despite enquiries, it has not been possible to obtain full distribution details or product traceability records for these products. However, distribution is believed to be throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, mainly to businesses that sell Eastern European food products.
Product Identification:
1) Loose cold smoked mackerel
2) Vacuum pack hot smoked mackerel: The wrapped hot smoked mackerel is contained within a gold foil vacuum pack. It has a white label attached with the wording "The Smoke House Hot Smoked Mackeral."(Note the mis-spelling). There is also a flag emblem in colours white, blue and red and an EU Approval number (UK 9502 EC).
Please note that the flag emblem and the Approval number may not always be present on the individual packs but rather on the outer boxes if available. The Use by date is indicated, the weight in kg, the price in EURO/KG and the price in EURO. Whilst a Use by date of the 02/03/10 is given on the packaging in the photograph please be advised that different date codes may be applied and that all date codes are implicated.
Action Required:
Inspectors:
Environmental Health Officers are requested to check food businesses in their areas that sell Eastern European food products to ascertain if these products are on sale. All such products must be withdrawn from the market and destroyed. If these products or other products labelled as 'The Smoke House' are found please advise FSAI at rapidalert@fsai.ie.
Manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, caterers & retailers:
Food business operators should ensure they are not selling any of the implicated products. If any of these products are found they must be withdrawn and destroyed.
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