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

RELATED NEWS

• Danone’s fruit yoghurt withdrawn from shelves under suspicion of Dioxin contamination
A batch of fruit yoghurt suspect of being contaminated with dioxin was withdrawn from shelves nationwide, vice-president of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) Laszlo Csutak stated for Rompres.
• Bird flu brought to Murighiol by migratory birds
According to the preliminary epidemiological investigation, poultry in the eastern locality of Murighiol was contaminated with the bird flu virus from migratory birds, informs a release of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Animal Safety Authority (ANSVSA). Fodder for the poultry bred in the contaminated household came from a region intensely sought by wild birds. In a
• Australian Sunshine Coast Declared Disaster Zone
The Sunshine Coast in Australia has been declared a disaster zone after a large oil spill The spill, that is “substantially” larger than first estimated, came ashore late Friday. The slick has contaminated about 60 kilometers of beach and mangroves, the Australian newspaper reported. … Read: More >>>
• No suspicions of bird flu outbreaks in Romania
There are no bird flu outbreaks or suspicions of outbreaks in the Romanian territory at present, chairman of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) Marian Avram said on Tuesday.
• Agriculture Minister Remes: Smithfield will not receive compensations for culled hogs
The Romanian Agriculture Ministry will not award any compensations to Smithfield company for the hogs culled in the company’s farms where swine fever has been detected if the company is proved to have failed to observe all the animal health regulations in force.