EU Stricter control of strawberries from China

EU wants to control strawberries from China more on health risks

02.12.2012

After China's focus on strawberries from China has increased in recent weeks due to potential health risks, the EU is now planning more stringent import controls on Chinese strawberries. It was planned, „In the future, freezer strawberries imported into the EU by China will increasingly be investigated by the European authorities for norovirus and hepatitis A viruses“, This is the current communication from the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection.

Already at the end of September, frozen strawberries from China contaminated with noroviruses caused a food epidemic, in which almost 11,000 pupils in eastern Germany contracted vomiting diarrhea. Currently, possible contamination of Chinese strawberry products with hepatitis A viruses again causes uncertainty. One week ago, Belgian authorities detected hepatitis A virus in Chinese strawberries, and this week the food monitoring authorities in Lower Saxony confirm the findings during official controls. For this reason, the Member States of the European Union will be discussing the establishment of special import controls for strawberries from China next Tuesday in Brussels, reports the Federal Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

Health risks from Chinese strawberries?
The massive gastrointestinal infections of thousands of students in Eastern Germany initially posed a significant mystery to the health authorities, before it became clear that the symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting were caused by noroviruses in frozen strawberries of the school caterer. Further research showed that the frozen strawberries came from China. Now official controls have again revealed exposure to Chinese strawberries. The authorities found hepatitis A viruses on frozen strawberries. „The product concerned - frozen strawberry cubes imported through Sweden - had already been withdrawn by the competent authorities in cooperation with the companies concerned days before“, reports the Federal Ministry of Consumer Affairs. The manufacturer from Lower Saxony had therefore recalled his nationwide frozen cake (Natreen strawberry yoghurt slices, 400 g).

Cause of contamination so far unclear
The latest laboratory results on Chinese frozen strawberries need to be taken as an opportunity, „to discuss the consequences also at European level“, explained a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Consumer Affairs on Friday in Berlin. Since different products of Chinese manufacturers were affected, should „Now, the cause of the contamination of the food, that is the exact entry way, must be examined“, so the message of the Ministry. This was also one of the topics that food safety experts of the federal government wanted to raise this weekend during a trip to Beijing in talks with the Chinese authorities. (Fp)

Picture: Wilhelmine Wulff