Romanian milk factories have not used guar gum in preparing yoghurt

The Romanian milk and dairy produce factories have not used the guar gum in preparing the yoghurts – except from Danone company – though the EU countries used it in proportion of 80 percent, Valeriu Steriu, president of the Milk Industry Employers’ Association (APRIL) told Rompres.

The National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) received on August 14, a notification through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Commission, referring to the presence of the guar gum in fruit yoghurts, possibly dioxin-contaminated. (The exposure to dioxin may cause severe acne in the upper part of the body and, in higher concentrations and longer exposure cases, skin irritations, excessive hair growth, skin pigment problems, liver deterioration or cancer.)

Last week, Commission food safety experts alerted national authorities in the EU-27 to detain guar gum exports from India Glycols, and test consignments for pentachlorophenol and dioxin.

ANSVSA inspectors withdrew from the Romanian market all products suspected of being contaminated and took samples form them ,which are already in the Reference Community Laboratory in Budapest, for analysis.

ANSVSA president Laszlo Csutak told Rompres that a certain quantity of fruit yoghurt , possibly contaminated with dioxin, has already been sold and probably consumed. Over August 17-19 the veterinary inspectors withdrew considerable quantities of yoghurt from the market.

‘After the EC’s alert controls have been conducted at the producer’s factory on August 15 and 16, in the following two days were identified and sequestrated all yoghurts in the market. It is possible that yoghurts from that certain lot still be on the market, but only in the small stores. Nevertheless, I believe people have already been warned and are cautious as regards their consumption till we get the results,’ Csutak said. He is expecting the results some time next week, around August 30.

ANSVSA officials say the Brussels authorities asked for confidentiality as regards the company and the contaminated quantities till the end of the investigation.

Danone and the ANSVSA identified the quantities of yoghurt in question, but informed that the company did not use guar gum directly. The company says their products are safe.

The first alarm signal as regards the contamination of the guar gum came from Switzerland, which imported possibly dioxin-contaminated guar gum from two Indian companies.The supplier of the contaminated substance is Glycols Limited Indian company. ROMPRES