Fecoam demands increased controls to prevent the entry of North American almonds contaminated with aflatoxins

almonds from the United States, following the detection by the European rapid alert system for food and feed (RASFF) of a batch with aflatoxin levels three times above the limit allowed by EU legislation. It is necessary to increase resources to carry out a thorough control that prevents the entry of almonds contaminated with aflatoxin, as "it poses a serious risk to consumer health," insists the federation. The almond was found to contain 29.3 µg/kg of this fungus, while the European Union limit is set at 10 µg/kg. According to the RASFF alert portal, in August and September there were up to 18 alerts of varying severity related to nuts from the United States. "We are asking for even stricter controls at ports and customs in Spain and throughout the Union when controlling the entry of almonds, pistachios, and other nuts from the U.S.," emphasizes the sectoral manager of Fecoam, Pedro Guerrero. As explained by Fecoam, aflatoxins are mycotoxins that are produced and proliferate in ...