Salmonella in soup, broths and condiments, pieces of plastic in confectionery and food supplements with an “amphetamine-like substance” were among the unappetising discoveries in a record number of Irish food alerts last year.
Ireland experienced the highest rate of such incidents in a decade during 2016.
These tend to follow the identification of pathogens like bugs or chemicals and can lead to products being taken off shelves or even withdrawn from the Irish market altogether.
Other grim discoveries included listeria monocytogenes, the bug that leads to Listeriosis, in prepared food dishes, snacks and milk products, and one case of insufficient product sterilisation.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), which issues warnings, said there were 39 food alerts last year compared to 31 in 2015.
There were also 28 food allergen alerts where certain products did not have specific ingredients listed correctly.
In total the FSAI responded to 554 “food incidents” last year.
In the EU there are 14 categories of allergens that must be labeled. Last year in Ireland milk, soybeans, eggs and nuts were the most common of those incorrectly included in food packaging and prompting a number of such public alerts.
“Three in every 100 people in Ireland have a food allergy and the seriousness of these occurrences can result in the loss of life to an individual in its most extreme form and can also result in urgent medical treatment and serve allergic reactions,” the FSAI said when publishing 2016 data on Wednesday.
Inaccurate labelling can occur when an allergen is unknowingly incorporated in a product; when the ingredients are not listed in English; or when the wrong product is placed in the wrong packaging.
The identification of a “food incident” can follow inspections, complaints from consumers, a business informing the FSAI that they have a problem, laboratory results, or from notifications from other EU member states.
“Issuing food alerts and food allergen alerts is a reflection of the seriousness of food incidents, some of which have the potential to cause serious harm to consumers,” said Dr Pamela Byrne FSAI chief executive.
“The increase in recent years of food allergen alerts and food alerts is indicative of the need for food businesses to not only ensure the food they place on the market is safe, but that it is also labeled correctly, especially in the case of allergens.”
