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🍎 Food IT ES September 1, 2021

unauthorised substance ethylene oxide (0.64 mg/kg - ppm) in thickening powder from Italy, containing locust bean gum contaminated with ethylene oxide (sum of EO and 2-CE expressed as EO: 3.7 ppm)

Classification
Alert notification
Risk
Serious
Category
food additives and flavourings
Origin
Italy
Notifier
Italy
🗄
Archived (older alert)
This alert was reported 1732 days ago and has been moved from our active feed to the archive. The original safety information still applies — we have no confirmation from the issuing agency that the product is safe again. Refer to the official notice for the current status.
📈 Timeline
0 days in total
May 17, 2026 May 17, 2026
Daily snapshot data starts accumulating once the scheduler runs — for now this is interpolated from the agency's first/last dates.

What is this? A food thickener powder from Italy may have too much ethylene oxide. This is a chemical used in cleaning but not allowed in food.

What's happening? The powder has more ethylene oxide than is safe. It was sold in Italy and Spain.

Does this affect me? If you have this powder at home, you might have bought it in Italy or Spain.

What should I do? Stop using it and ask your pharmacist or doctor if you feel unwell.

🤖 This plain-language summary is automatically generated from the official agency notice using AI. It is for general information only — not medical advice. For decisions about your health, always consult a pharmacist or doctor and read the official source linked below.

🔬 Medical / technical details (for professionals)
Agency-published detail

Classification: Alert notification · Risk: Serious · Category: food additives and flavourings · Origin: Italy · Notifier: Italy

First published
September 1, 2021
Last refreshed by us
1 week ago
Severity (as classified)
High
Official source
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/search?notificationReference=2021.4663

All information on this page comes from the official agency notice. We translate and summarise it; we don't add or edit facts.

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❓ Frequently asked questions

▸ What is this product recall alert about?
unauthorised substance ethylene oxide (0.64 mg/kg - ppm) in thickening powder from Italy, containing locust bean gum contaminated with ethylene oxide (sum of EO and 2-CE expressed as EO: 3.7 ppm). Classification: Alert notification · Risk: Serious · Category: food additives and flavourings · Origin: Italy · Notifier: Italy
▸ When was this alert issued?
This alert was issued on September 1, 2021 by EU RASFF.
▸ Which countries are affected?
The alert applies to the following countries: Italy and Spain.
▸ How serious is this alert?
Serious risk. A serious risk means the product or medicine can cause significant harm. Treat the alert as urgent.
▸ What should I do?
If you have this product at home, stop using it and return it to the point of purchase for a refund. Keep the receipt if you have one — most retailers refund without it for safety recalls.
▸ Where can I find the official notice?
The full official notice is published on webgate.ec.europa.eu.

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⚠️ We aggregate official notices. We do not give medical advice. For medical or legal decisions, consult the source agency and a qualified professional.