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Listen to this siteFriday 7 November 2008
Food Alert: for Action
Ref: 60/2008
The Agency is changing its procedure for notifying local authorities about products contaminated with melamine in excess of the level permitted by Commission Decision 2008/798/EC but considered unlikely to be a risk to health.
As you have already been made aware, on 15 October 2008 the European Commission adopted Decision (2008/798/EC) requiring that any products originating in or consigned from China containing milk or milk products as an ingredient should be subject to documentary, identity and physical checks, including laboratory analysis, to determine that any levels of melamine present in the product do not exceed 2.5 mg/kg. Those products with more than 2.5mg/kg will be destroyed.
As positive sample results have been received, we have noted a widening range of products that have not been in compliance with Decision (2008/798/EC). Therefore, rather then issuing a separate Food Alert for Information for each product, we intend to produce a list of non-compliant products, updated daily to ensure a proportionate notification procedure. This list of non-compliant products will be published on the Agency’s website and can be accessed via the link below.
The list will be reviewed daily and updated as required with any new positive results that have been received by 4pm for that day.
Any non-compliant products considered to be a risk to health or where the company has not taken the appropriate action will still be notified via individual food alerts for action.
Local authorities should have regard to the list of the products published on the Agency’s website on a daily basis to help inform their sampling plans and to raise their awareness should they come across these products on the market during their routine inspections. Local authorities should ensure that the products listed are withdrawn from sale and subsequently destroyed, if necessary using the powers under the Food Safety Act 1990. Local authorities should encourage food business operators to display point of sale notices explaining the reasons for withdrawal to consumers.
It is essential that all non unitary authorities liaise at county level to ensure that they co-ordinate their actions.
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