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Date Published: 19/06/2024

Toxic UK breakfast cereals stopped at Spanish border

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Spain has criticised the European authorities for not releasing more information about the potentially toxic products

Toxic UK breakfast cereals stopped at Spanish border

The Spanish food authorities have blown the whistle on a batch of UK-imported breakfast cereals, stopping them at the border due to dangerous levels of a toxic substance. The alert was raised to the European Commission, setting off alarm bells across the continent.

The culprit is Ochratoxin A, a nasty contaminant produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus fungi. These toxins have been detected in levels far exceeding the safe limit, posing a serious health hazard to unsuspecting consumers. The affected products include cereals, legumes, coffee and cocoa – a wide net that could potentially affect a large number of shoppers throughout Spain.

This toxin is a silent threat, known for its neurotoxic, immunosuppressive, genotoxic, carcinogenic and teratogenic effects. It usually lurks in foods that originate from humid and temperate areas, and its presence is a critical concern for food safety regulators.

While the source of the contaminated cereals remains a mystery, with neither the brand nor the factory identified, the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Union (Rasff) is on the case, working to halt the distribution of these dangerous breakfast items.

Spain is scrambling to ensure that none of the contaminated products remain on supermarket shelves, while FACUA-Consumers in Action continues to criticise the EU for the lack of information being released.

Ochratoxin A rears its ugly head when crops, particularly grains, are stored. It's the result of fungal proliferation, and its effects are insidious. First detected in samples of African corn, this mycotoxin has the potential to cause serious harm to human health, with long-term exposure leading to kidney toxicity and even cancer in animals.

While the World Health Organisation (WHO) has pointed out that the association of these risks with humans is not yet clear, the presence of kidney effects is cause for concern.

In other news: Frantic search underway for British teen missing in Tenerife

Image: Pixabay

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