French alcoholic beverages contain high level of ethyl carbamate
| Issue Date | 11.11.2015 |
|---|---|
| Source of Information | Notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission |
| Food Product | French alcoholic beverages |
| Product Name and Description | Product name: Steinobstbrand - Kirsch |
| Reason For Issuing Alert | The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the above-mentioned batch of alcoholic beverages was found to contain ethyl carbamate at a level of 11.4 milligrams per litre. According to the information provided by the RASFF, the German wholesaler concerned has initiated a recall of the affected product and a small volume of the affected product has been imported into Hong Kong. Ethyl carbamate is a contaminant naturally formed in fermented foods and alcoholic beverages during the fermentation process or during storage. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified ethyl carbamate as Group 2A, i.e. probably carcinogenic to humans. |
| Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety | The CFS has contacted the importer concerned in Hong Kong as indicated in the notification of the RASFF, and learnt that the products concerned were still kept in its warehouse and did not enter the market. The CFS has alerted the trade to the incident and instructed them to stop using or selling the affected product immediately should they have imported and still possess them. |
| Advice to the Trade | The trade should stop using or selling the affected product immediately should they have imported and still possess them. |
| Advice to Consumers | Stop consuming the affected batch of product if it was purchased. |
| Further Information |
Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
2015-11-11