17 February 2006 - The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) did not released on the market 19 tons of Chinese peeled peanuts imported to the Czech Republic from the Netherlands. The Inspection Authority found out that the peanut samples contained greater amount of aflatoxins than authorized by European legislation. The consignment will not be put on the market and therefore it should not reach European consumers.
EU legislation has tightened the arrangements for inspection of certain foodstuffs imported to the EU from third countries. More strictly monitored commodities include just peanuts originating in China, or pistachios imported from Iran, and some other products. According to the legislation, every Member State through which these commodities enter the European market must check individual consignments either on a random basis, or all of them with no exceptions.
The Food Inspection Authority which is the National Contact Point for the Europe-wide Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, RASFF, today informed on the contaminated consignment the central office of this system in Brussels.
Since the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU, the Food Inspection Authority has sent 38 notifications to the Rapid Alert System, concerning food with high aflatoxin content, originating in third countries. Peanuts originating in China were concerned in 10 cases.