Aug 11 - The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority keeps making effort to reveal adulterated foodstuffs or cases of deceiving consumers. Both practices lead to the fact that foodstuffs pretending to be something they are not occur on the market and consumers have not many chances how to identify them. Based upon experience from previous controls, CAFIA focused its attention on control of jams and marmalades.
Legislation prescribes minimum weight fruit content in jams, marmalades, plum jams, and other processed fruits. For example jams must contain at least 35 grams of fruits in 100 grams and selected jams (labelled as “Extra“) must contain 45 grams of fruits. On the contrary, marmalades can be produced only from citrus fruits and must contain at least 20 grams of fruit content in 100 grams. If a producer indicates higher than minimum fruit content, this content must be kept. Similarly, it must be clear from the labelling that the product was made of more sorts of fruits. If the jam is named after one sort of fruits, e.g. “strawberry jam“, than it must not contain other fruits. Apples are mostly used for such adulteration.
Within a special action focused on control of jams, inspectors directly on the spot checked labelling, thus whether all mandatory information is included in it or whether it is not misleading. 14 samples of jams were taken for laboratory analyses, during which real content of fruit, sugar or content of other than declared fruits were checked. Analyses revealed 5 non-complying jams. Based upon these results, the Inspection Authority banned sale of almost 2 tons directly at importers. Another ton (1351 kg) had to be withdrawn from retails.
Administrative proceeding, in which the amount of the imposed fine will be determined, will be initiated with all inspected persons.
