France: Seizure of 30 Tons of Moroccan Olives Contaminated by a Banned Preservative
French customs seized around 30 tonnes of Moroccan olives, contaminated with a banned allergenic preservative, intended for sale in Île-de-France. This operation, carried out following laboratory analyses, revealed non-compliant and non-indicated substances, endangering sensitive consumers.
French authorities said the investigation was triggered after the arrival of shipments at the port of Le Havre, where salted olives from Morocco were distributed by a network of wholesalers, notably based in Saint-Denis. This wholesaler regularly received shipments of large 12 kilo plastic jars, which were then sold on various local markets.
The Bordeaux Joint Laboratories Service has confirmed the presence of an unauthorized preservative, likely to cause serious allergic reactions. Following the inspections, 28.5 tonnes of non-compliant products were immediately seized. Two subsequent checks at the wholesaler’s warehouses revealed additional contaminated batches, totaling more than two tonnes.
The National Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations (DNRED) has also identified several Moroccan companies involved in this chain of exporting non-compliant food products to the European Union, raising concerns for food safety.
Faced with this situation, the authorities are considering strengthening customs controls on food imports and working more closely with Moroccan services to guarantee compliance with European health standards.
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