Filenews 19 December 2023
After all, do we know what meat we are eating and whether it is adulterated with another type of meat? Apparently not, according to the findings of the General Chemical State Laboratory. Then eat fish? And we need to think about this, since as shown by checks, this too may not comply with what is indicated on the packaging indicated on the product.
And if after all this you think that it is better to eat jams and desserts, you should keep in mind that the Chemical Laboratory found preservatives in some of the samples.
As if this were not enough, the Chemical Laboratory's tests recorded a significant increase in the percentage of non-compliant samples for pigments.
More specifically, during 2022, the Chemical Laboratory examined 25 meat samples and during the inspection, a small concentration other than the listed type of meat (a result of possible contamination in the production process) was detected in 8% of the samples.
The check for adulteration was carried out on meat products with chicken and pork and the food examined was taken from catering establishments, grills as well as from the retail trade.
The control of adulteration of meat with another type of meat began in 2013, following the scandal of adulteration of meat with horsemeat and the related EU Recommendation (2013/99/EC). It then expanded to other types of meat such as beef, chicken and pork.
A report by the General Chemical State Laboratory also states that since 2017 samples of fish / fish preparations / molluscs have been checked for adulteration. In 2022, 51 samples were tested under the national programme and 18% (nine samples) were found to be non-compliant as they contained an item other than the item indicated on the packaging.
As regards adulteration, the control has been extended since 2019 to milk. In 2022, 25 samples of dairy products were tested under a national programme. 12% non-compliant with the legislation since they contained other than the listed item.
It is worth noting that in 2022, a total of 337 samples were examined for authenticity purposes for 1,072 parameters.
Regarding food safety, in 2022 the General Chemical Laboratory analyzed 360 samples with 556 parameters, for the determination of preservatives and the control of compliance with the relevant Community legislation.
Compared to the previous year, there was a significant increase in the proportion of non-compliant food samples for preservatives, benzoic and sorbic acid.
For the preservatives propionic acid and nitrite/nitrate no deviations from the relevant legislation were observed. For allergenic preservative sulphur dioxide the number of divergent samples remained constant. The number of non-compliant samples for preservatives concerns 42.4% of the total non-compliant samples of the year and includes foods such as jams, desserts, etc.
According to the General Chemical State Laboratory, the above demonstrate the effectiveness and, at the same time, the necessity of continuing and intensifying the applied control.
During 2022, the Chemical Laboratory conducted 649 food analyzes to check the presence and levels of pigments. According to the Laboratory, there was a significant increase in the percentage of non-compliant samples for pigments, which included, among others, boiled and dyed eggs, dried fruits, etc.
It is noted that 50% of non-compliant samples were detected under the annual National Food Control Program and the remaining 50% during import. Samples taken on import were retained until analyses were completed and were not placed on the market.
Scientific dimension to adulteration
The State Laboratory points out that "the globalization of trade and the free movement of goods have now given a scientific dimension to adulteration, and more sophisticated methods such as isotopic methods are required to check authenticity." He adds that the creation of isotopic databases of food and beverages of known origin is a prerequisite for certifying their authenticity. The report states that "the isotopic mapping of Cypriot food and beverages", which is carried out and is constantly evolving at the State Laboratory, is applied both in the protection of traditional and local products by enriching their file and in the protection of the products themselves, consumers during market control, and producers.
Some examples of foods examined over time by the Chemical Laboratory for adulteration are, among others, olive oil, honey (in 2022 very few deviations from the relevant legislation were identified, mainly concerning quality and not adulteration), and dairy products. The control of dairy products also includes the identification of milk and the proportion of sheep and goat milk in halloumi cheeses and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheeses and seasonal cheeses for the manufacture of flaounes.
Most of the samples were checked for marking for compliance with EU Regulations 1169/2011 and 1924/2006, their quality and their compliance with specifications and standards where they exist. Also, food supplied by the National Guard (National Guard) is controlled through the Framework Agreement (National Guard specifications and food channelled to the National Guard through canteens and kitchens).
At the same time, the audit focused on the analysis of foods mainly consumed by children and foods sold in school canteens that may be high in ingredients such as sugars, fat, salt, saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids, such as milk, yogurt desserts, snacks, carob syrup, cheeses, and on the analysis of products governed by a standard such as halloumi and traditional cold cuts such as splash sausage, Lountza and ham. The results obtained were evaluated on the basis of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 and for certain products with the relevant specifications of the standards.
The State Chemical Laboratory recommends that consumers read food labels, which indicate, among other things, important information about their ingredients and nutrition declaration (i.e. the amounts of nutrients and calories of the food), so that they can control the amount of food they consume in order to protect their health.
