HELSINKI: Finnish Customs has seized nearly one tonne of spices which were incorrectly labelled or contained dangerous ingredients, according to Helsingin Sanomat. The agency is taking part in the joint Europol-Interpol operation Opson VI, an international endeavour which targets counterfeit and substandard food products, and the organised crime networks behind the trade.
Finnish Customs has seized some 950.5 kg of imported turmeric, curry and chilli because the spices were in breach of food safety regulations, Finland’s biggest daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reports. Officials uncovered chilli and turmeric that were found to contain the food colouring agent Sudan, which is a known carcinogenic and banned for use in food. They were found at a small Asian grocery store in Helsinki, but the owners of the shop had not imported the banned spices themselves. The responsible importing firm was tracked down and the spices were removed from store shelves. In order to import to the EU spices must include a certificate confirming they do not contain Sudan I,II,III and IV, Petri Lounatmaa, Finnish Customs’ Head of Analysis and Intelligence told Yle. Another seized product was found to have erroneously been marked as organic, the agency said. Some of the goods were improperly labelled with, for example, incomplete ingredient lists, which can be potentially dangerous to people with allergies.
