Health authorities begin identification, removal of chocolate batches following reported worldwide cases of Salmonella infection
Hundreds of cases of Salmonella have been reported in various countries worldwide, mainly among children under the age of 10, “most likely due to the contamination of various Ferrero-branded Kinder chocolates with Salmonella Typhimurium,” the Food Agency said. Photo: northafricapost.com
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The Georgian National Food Agency has begun identifying and removing “suspicious” batches of chocolate from the country’s market due to the hundreds of reported cases of the Salmonella bacterial infection across the world.
The Agency announced on Friday it had received a notification from the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission, through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, about the possible presence of the infection in various chocolate products on Thursday.
Procedures for detecting and removing specific batches of chocolates were started “immediately,” the Agency said, adding it had informed the importing companies about the suspicious batches and instructed them to remove the Uovo Maxi chocolate from the market.
Additionally, the body has requested the importing companies to register the number of Uovo Maxi’s products already placed on the market, and to report to the National Food Agency on actions taken.
The Agency also plans to conduct “unscheduled inspections,” overseeing chocolate import businesses, the organisation revealed.
Hundreds of cases of Salmonella have been reported in various countries worldwide, mainly among children under the age of 10, “most likely due to the contamination of various Ferrero-branded Kinder chocolates with Salmonella Typhimurium,” the Food Agency said.
The Georgian National Food Agency has fined 12 veterinary facilities in the western Georgian regions of Guria and Adjara for violations in the rules of labelling, storage and sale of expired drugs and for the absence of registration documents for economic activities.
The National Food Agency of Georgia has found more than 500 kg of horse and cattle meat of unknown origin near the Batumi produce market in the Georgian Black Sea region of Adjara. The agency says that following the law, cattle must be slaughtered at a slaughterhouse and the meat must have certain documents of approval before sale.
Higher nitrate content was observed in 16 of 100 vegetable and fruit samples imported or produced in Georgia, announces the National Food Agency of Georgia. The National Food Agency says that the nitrates were found mainly in beet samples, the sale of which was banned in the country.
Employees of the Sanitary, Phytosanitary and Veterinary Control Division of the Customs Department have found 1,952 kilograms of tomatoes and 82,500 kilograms of frozen chicken meat 'non-compliant with import requirements at Sarpi and Poti Port customs checkpoint of Georgia.
The National Food Agency has sealed 472 kilograms of the Kinder chocolate product on the Georgian market after it was notified of a threat of Salmonella bacterial infection in the batches by a European Commission body last week, the agency announced on Friday.
The National Food Agency of Georgia has sealed 2.5 tonnes of meat at the Batumi produce market in western Georgia’s Black Sea city, with the Agency revealing on Monday the move had followed violations of sanitary regulations, identified by professionals.
The Investigation Service of Georgia’s Finance Ministry has charged two individuals for selling expired foreign-made chocolate products that included "microorganisms harmful to human health", the state body said on Tuesday.