The Hindu Business Line : EC withdraws alert notification against chilli exporter

THE European Commission (EC), which had issued a rapid alert notification for the reported presence of Ochratoxin - A in a consignment of spices/curry on February 27 last, has withdrawn its notification after a subsequent analysis of the counter samples in France showed a negative result.

The EC vide its RASFF Notification 2004/095 dated February 27 under its Market Control measure recalled/withdrawn a consignment of spices/curry exported by a Mumbai-based exporter to France for the reported presence of Ochratoxin-A.

Mr S. Kannan, Director, Marketing Spices Board, told Business Line on Monday that based on the Notification, the Spices Board had suspended the registration certificate of the exporter.

Subsequently, he added, the counter samples of the products were analysed in France by the EC using another method.

"The results of the counter samples using other methods have been favourable and the products have been released."

In the light of the analytical report and having realised the mistake, the EC had "withdrawn the above notification through an additional information notification dated April 26, 2004".

Accordingly, the Spices Board also revoked the suspension of the registration certificate with effect from May 13, he added.

Mr Kannan said that earlier following a rapid alert notification about the presence of prohibited carcinogenic dye Sudan-1 in Indian chilli consignments, the board had suspended the certificate of registration of the involved exporters in June 2003.

Since November 17, 2003 the board had introduced mandatory sampling and analysis for Sudan 1 of chilli and chilli products irrespective of destination of export.

From November 7, 2003 to April 15, 2004 out of 1,878 samples received 1,824 were analysed and the results were negative.

Prior to November 17, 2003 individual exporters used to draw samples from export consignments for analysis in their own laboratories, other private laboratories or the board's quality evaluation laboratory to assess the presence of aflatoxin.

Thus, samples from export consignments of chilli powder and other products containing chillies are analysed for presence of aflatoxin too, he said.

Now the authorities in the US and Europe are strict about the presence of aflatoxin in chilli.

The tolerance limit for chilli fixed by the European Union is 10 ppb while it is 15 ppb in the US, he said.

The board had been using the high performance liquid chromotograph (HPLC) method, a system of the French Health Authorities that can detect up to 10 ppm. This was later improved by standardisation to detect up to five ppm.

At the insistence of the European Union, which wanted the board to set up a method HPLCMS to detect parts per billion levels, the board has already placed orders for equipment costing around Rs 1.5 crore. It would be in place soon at the board's headquarters here, he said.

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