Canada- Italy Traceability Problem

In mid January there was confusion over the seizure of Canadian grain in Italy and the delay in releasing the information. Was it a real problem or a hidden barrier to trade or something else? New laws on traceability went into effect throughout the EU on 1 January but EU spokesperson Nina Papadoulaki told FoodProductionDaily.com that so far no other member country had reported evidence of finding the contaminated wheat within their borders.

 

Had any had been found member states would have been required to make a report to the EU's food safety alert system which serves to inform member state regulators about problems in the food chain. The Commission has asked Italy to submit a report about the issue to determine what actions, if any, to take, she said.

 

Francesco Casillo, the head of Molino Casillo, one of Europe's largest millers, was arrested in Italy mid January for allegedly adulterating stocks with contaminated wheat after a joint investigation by Italy's agricultural ministry and the fraud police. This arrest followed the discovery that wheat imported from Canada had three times the allowable limit of ocratoxin, a carcinogenic substance. About 58,000 tonnes of durum wheat was confiscated at the port of Bari. Most of the wheat was destined for use in pasta making. However Canadian Wheat Board spokesperson Maureen Fitzhenery was quoted in the Globe and Mail newspaper as stating that the wheat had been tested and found safe before leaving for Italy.

 

The shipment " ...was tested for ocratoxine before it left the country," Fitzhenry said. "The levels were well within acceptable parameters. This grain is safe, and we're known to have safe grain."

 

Food Traceability 2006 conference will be held on February 1-2 2006 in Dallas, USA. This hot topic is driven by health scares, bioterrorism and new laws. It will become the largest RFID application but we cover DNA and many other vital technologies as well. For further details please visit www.trackingfood.com 

 

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