Food « Thurles Information

Lidl Ireland Recall Batches Of Duc De Coeur Stuffed Mussels.

Today, Lidl Ireland have recalled batches of Duc De Coeur Mussels stuffed with parsley and garlic due to cooking instructions not being labelled in English and having undeclared molluscs, milk and gluten.

Alert Notifications: 2022.55 and 202.A25
Product: Duc De Coeur 12 Stuffed Mussels with Parsley and Garlic (frozen); pack size 125g.
Batch Code: 03.067.22.30 and 03.104.22.30; Best before date: 09/2023 and 10/2023.
Country Of Origin: France

Lidl Ireland is recalling the above batches of its Duc De Coeur Stuffed Mussels with Parsley and Garlic because the cooking instructions and ingredients are not labelled in English.
The implicated batches contain molluscs, milk and gluten. This may make the batches unsafe for consumers, latter who are allergic to, or intolerant of, molluscs, milk or gluten.

Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in stores supplied with the implicated batches.

Paschal Donohoe Accuses Hospitality Representatives Of Price Gouging.

Finance Minister, Mr Paschal Donohoe has demonstrated his displeasure at greedy hoteliers for price gouging their customers.

Mr Donohoe met with representatives of the hospitality sector which included the Irish Hotels Federation; Irish Tourism Industry Confederation; Licensed Vintners Association; Vintners’ Federation of Ireland and the Restaurants Association of Ireland, for a requested pre-Budget meeting.

The above named representative organisations had gone into the meeting seeking to retain the lower existing 9% Vat rate; a reduction in excise duty on alcohol, and a targeted financial support package to help with the cost of energy increases.

Representatives were quickly reprimanded by Mr Donohoe; latter who informed them that the Government had provided strong supports for hotels in recent years. Same supports had gotten them through Covid-19 he stated, and he was therefore extremely disappointed that value for money for those looking to holiday in Ireland had not been forthcoming.

Finance Minister Donohoe made it known that that charging over €500 for a room with an American football game in the Capital, was not acceptable and politicians were now looking for the 9% Vat rate to be increased due to exorbitant accommodation prices. It is understood that there was a muted acceptance by some representatives that some hotels were indeed involved in price gouging.

In May 2022, Mr Donohoe had extended the special 9% Vat rate, latter introduced in November 2020, for a further six months, at an estimated revenue loss to the State of €250m: to assist businesses that had been severely impacted by harsh, but necessary, Covid restrictions.

Porridge With Mixed Summer Berries Recalled Due To Presence Of Hepatitis A.

Specific batches of Fit Food’s Breakfast Club Porridge with Mixed Summer Berries recalled due to the presence of Hepatitis A.

The product in question is Fit Foods Breakfast Club Porridge with Mixed Summer Berries; pack size: 240g
Batch Code: Use by dates: 26/08/22 and 29/08/22
Country Of Origin: Ireland.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) have confirmed that Swift Fine Foods are recalling the above batches of its Fit Foods Breakfast Club Porridge with Mixed Summer Berries, due to the presence of Hepatitis A. Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in stores supplied with the implicated batches.

Nature Of Danger:
Hepatitis A infection is an acute disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus. Symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, and jaundice. Some people experience a fairly mild illness and recover within a couple of weeks. Other people develop more severe symptoms and may take months to fully recover. Older people are more likely to have more severe symptoms and some infected children do not have any symptoms at all. The incubation period (time between initial infection and first symptoms appearing) is, on average, 28 days but can range from 15 to 50 days.

Retailers are requested to remove the implicated batches from sale and to display a point-of-sale recall notice in stores where the affected batches were sold.

Consumers are advised not to eat the implicated batches.

Batches Of Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream Recalled – Detection Of 2-Chloroethanol.

The implicated batches of Häagen-Dazs ice cream listed in the table below are being recalled due to the detection of 2-chloroethanol in one of the ingredients used in their manufacture.

2-Chloroethanol is a recognised reaction product of ethylene oxide. Ethylene oxide in turn is a pesticide that is not permitted for use in foods sold within the EU, but however, is approved for use by other countries outside the EU.

Although the consumption of the contaminated batches does not pose an acute risk to health, there is an increased risk if there is continued consumption of similar contaminated food over a long period of time. Therefore, exposure to this substance needs to be minimised.

Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in stores supplied with the implicated batches.

Titanium Dioxide No Longer Authorised As Food Additive in European Union.

Titanium Dioxide is no longer authorised as a food additive in the European Union, with effect from August 7th 2022.

Titanium dioxide is being banned in the EU as a possible carcinogen. [Note: A carcinogen is a substance, organism or agent capable of causing cancer.]

A class action lawsuit, which was filed recently in California, claims that sweets company ‘Mars’ failed to adequately warn customers about the chemical, titanium dioxide, and therefore committed a fraud of omission.
Mars says that ‘Skittles‘ are made in accordance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations, which permit the use of titanium dioxide at less than 1% of the food’s dried weight, and that the company has done nothing wrong.

Titanium dioxide (E171) is an additive that is used in food as a colour. Its function is to make food more visually appealing, to give colour to food that would otherwise be colourless, or to restore the original appearance of food. Titanium dioxide is used to provide whiteness and opacity to foods.

In terms of dietary exposure, titanium dioxide is often used in a variety of food categories, including bakery products, soups, broths, sauces, salads, savoury based sandwich spreads and processed nuts. It is also used in confectionary, chewing gum, food supplements and cake icing.

In May 2021, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published an opinion that stated that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe when used as a food additive.

Based on this opinion, the European Commission and the Member States agreed to remove all uses of titanium dioxide as an additive in food. In January 2022, a Regulation withdrawing the authorisation to use titanium dioxide as a food additive in food products was adopted i.e. Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/63.

This regulation entered into force on February 7th, 2022. However, the Regulation included a six-month transitional period to allow food businesses time to phase out the use of this food additive and to reformulate their products using suitable alternatives. This period will now end on August 7th, 2022.

Food containing titanium dioxide that is lawfully placed on the EU market before August 7th, 2022 may remain on the market until its date of minimum durability or its ‘use-by’ date has passed. Food produced or placed on the market after August 7th 2022 cannot contain titanium dioxide. The ban on the use of titanium dioxide is effective in each EU Member State, and in Northern Ireland. Some third countries, such as the United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland), continue to permit the use of titanium dioxide.

All food businesses currently using titanium dioxide as a food additive have a legal responsibility to comply with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2022/63, banning the use of titanium dioxide.
The FSAI encourages food businesses to source suitable alternatives to titanium dioxide and start the process of reformulation now to ensure compliance in advance of the ban coming into force on August 7th 2022.