The European Union (EU) has issued a food alert recently which he described as “serious”. In this case, the alert affects fruit grown in Spain, specifically oranges in which a substance called Imazalil, a pesticide that could cause health problems derived from its consumption, has been detected.
The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) has issued a notification specifying that the quantities of Imazalil detected in those consignments of oranges exceeded the permitted limits. Imazalil is a fungicide used to control pests of some crops to avoid fungal diseases in both fruit and ornamental trees. It is also used for seed treatment.
The limits established by the European authorities cannot exceed more than 4 mg/kg and in the blocked consignments of oranges, an amount more than double the amount of Imazalil, 8.5 mg/kg, was found.
The case was detected by the French authorities on December 20. France is one of the receiving countries for oranges from Spain. The lots were withdrawn from the market immediately.
In the case of citrus fruits, it is very important to check what type of pesticides and other chemicals have been used for their cultivation and conservation. This is information that must be clearly indicated on the labels of the package or mesh of oranges, tangerines, lemons or grapefruits. In the case of bulk purchase, you can consult the establishment.
Among the names and acronyms that appear on the labeling, you will most likely find one of these:
- Some preservatives such as potassium sorbate or E202.
- Waxes such as E901, E904, E912 or E914.
- And antifungals like IMZ or Imazalil; PM or Pyrimethanil (pyrimethanil in Spanish); TBZ or Thiabendazol (thiabendazol in Spanish) or OPP or Orthophenylphenol (orthophenylphenol in Spanish).
They are substances and products whose use is not prohibited by the health authorities of the European Union, but it is required that they be declared on the label and that certain limits of quantities be respected to guarantee that they are not harmful to humans when used. they consume.
Fungicides such as Imazalil, Pyrimethanil, Thiabendazole or Orthophenylphenol are a cocktail to stop the appearance of fungi on fruits after harvesting, and are usually applied at the time of washing or waxing.
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