Health News

Lidl calls peppers back threatening skin irritation

Lidl calls back paprika mix: Proven exceedance of the maximum toxicological level of a growth regulator threatens irritation of the mucous membranes and skin irritation. Other supermarkets could be affected.

16/01/2011

The supermarket chain Lidl calls on consumers to buy an already purchased variety of pepper called „Spanish pepper mix“ not to consume and instead to give it back in a branch. In the vegetables were high loads of the growth regulator „ ethephon“ found.

Recall of the Spanish pepper mix
The discount chain „Lidl“ Calls consumers to the „Spanish pepper mix“ (Lot number L-01-05 TUTW) from the supermarkets in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony not to eat and instead to return for reimbursement of the purchase price. As the company announced on Saturday, they are the goods that were sold between the 10th and 13th of January 2011. In the paprika mix (consisting of red and yellow paprika varieties) were high levels of the growth regulator „ethephon“ demonstrated. Ethephon (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) is a plant growth regulator used to control biological processes. Among other things, fruits and vegetables ripen faster with the addition of pesticide. Ethephon penetrates into the plant tissue and disintegrates during a cleavage process. Exceeding the maximum toxicological limit in fruits and vegetables is likely to cause harmful effects such as skin irritation and irritation of the mucous membranes. If the plant is consumed in large quantities, it acts as a neurotoxin. In recent years, it has been observed that many farms are increasingly using the growth regulator. Since then, Consumer Protection has been conducting regular inspections to investigate the exceedance of maximum levels in fruit and vegetables.

Other supermarkets and federal states could be affected
The Ministry of Consumer Protection in Baden-Württemberg said that it can not be ruled out that the Spanish pepper mix variety was sold not only to Lidl, but also through other chains. Furthermore, consumer advocates can not rule out that the contaminated vegetables are also outside the state in the sale of goods. For this reason, an official investigation has already been initiated. The first results of food monitoring could be available in one week.

The company Lidl stressed on Saturday that the affected pepper variety was already taken out of the sale. All currently sold pepper mixes and varieties are not affected by the recall. There are currently no suspicious goods in the sale, the company said. One has in the sense of „preventive consumer protection“ reacted immediately. Who still has the named product at home, should not consume it, but bring back the peppers. The purchase price will be refunded without exception. (Sb)