FSAI Advises on Recall and Withdrawal of Some Food Containing Locust Bean Gum (E 410) due to Ethylene Oxide Contamination
Friday, 16 July 2021
Following the
identification of ethylene oxide contamination of the additive locust bean gum
(E410) in some
food products in Europe, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today, in
line with other EU Member States is undertaking precautionary recalls and withdrawals
of implicated food products.
Locust bean gum is a
vegetable gum extracted from the seeds of the Carob tree. It is approved for
use as a food additive in the EU where it is used mainly as a thickening agent
or stabiliser. It is approved for use in a range of foods including ice-cream,
breakfast cereals, meat products, confectionery, follow on formulae, fine bakery
wares, fermented milk products and cheese.
The consumption of foods containing ethylene oxide does not pose an acute
risk to health, but there is an increased health risk if foods contaminated
with ethylene oxide are consumed over a long period of time. Therefore,
exposure to ethylene oxide needs to be minimised and contaminated product must
be removed from the market.
The FSAI is working with the EU Commission and its Member States in relation
to this issue. Similar recalls and withdrawals are being carried out across
Europe where contaminated product has been identified. The FSAI is also working
with its official agencies in relation to the identification of the
contaminated additive (E410) that may have been supplied to businesses or food
manufacturers in Ireland.
The FSAI will provide updates as and
when available, it will also list affected food products as identified on its
website.
For more
information, please see our Q&A and the website of the European Commission.
To subscribe for food alerts, see: www.fsai.ie.ie/subscribe.