The European Commission has revised the inspection levels on various imports, including a decrease in ethylene oxide checks and an increase in pesticide residue inspections. The updated legislation governs the rate of official controls and special conditions for non-animal food and feed imports into Europe, with changes made every six months.
Decisions are based on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) reports and information from early 2023 documents, identity, and physical inspections by EU countries. For instance, the inspection level for Salmonella in sesame seeds from India has been increased to 30 percent of consignments, while the checks for ethylene oxide have been reduced from 50 percent to 30 percent of shipments.
The majority of updates feature pesticide residues. Increased oversight has been put on seem and helmet beans from Bangladesh, yard-long beans from India and Sri Lanka, granadilla and passion fruit from Thailand, durian from Vietnam, vine leaves from Egypt, and rice from Pakistan. However, controls have been relaxed for mint from Israel.
Conditions apply to products containing or derived from wild mushrooms and wild fruits of the genus Vaccinium, such as cranberries and blueberries, several other mushroom types, and some juices and waters.
Source: www.foodsafetynews.com