The Froneri company, manufacturer of different brands of ice cream for the giant Nestlé, has reported that it is removing all batches contaminated with ethylene oxide from points of sale. A communication that comes shortly after what was announced by the Mars brand, which has also been affected by the presence of this carcinogen.
What is ethylene oxide
The alert for the presence of this substance was raised at the end of June when the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), in agreement with its neighboring countries, urged food companies to withdraw all products from the market. products made with E410 -locust bean or carob gum-, a food additive contaminated with ethylene oxide. Specifically, it was found in the manufacture of ice cream, as the additive is used as a stabilizer.
This substance is a chemical that has been banned in the European Union since 1991 as a pesticide and since 2011 its use has been banned as a product to protect food and feed. However, it is still authorized for the disinfection of medical equipment. It is an “extremely flammable” and “toxic” gas, ethylene oxide can “cause cancer” and induce “genetic abnormalities”, according to the toxicological profile established by the National Institute for Research and Safety (INRS).
Which Nestlé and Mars ice creams are contaminated with ethylene oxide
FACUA, consumer organization in action, has published the one that the Swiss multinational Nestlé is withdrawing from its shelves. Specifically, there are up to 46 varieties of ice cream manufactured by Froneri of the Nestlé, Milka, Toblerone, Nuii, Oreo, Princesa, La Lechera and Smarties brands, all of which are marketed by the Swiss firm in Spain. However, the association warns that “the list is not necessarily complete, since it is part of the alerts for the withdrawal of the marketing of Froneri/Nestlé products disseminated internally by the Carrefour, Dia and Covirán chains,” it explains.
The publication of these references by Facua and Froneri’s commitment to withdraw the affected batches, occurred shortly after Mars, another affected company, went public in Spain. Specifically, these are certain M&M’s, Snickers and Twix ice creams. Meanwhile, Froneri has made available to customers
What risk would it have to consume these ice creams with ethylene oxide
FACUA advises users who have one of the affected products in their homes to refrain from consuming them and proceed to return them to the establishments to be reimbursed. However, Froneri states in a statement that “the amount of the affected component that is used is negligible in the final product. In addition, even in the case of consumption of a product that could be affected by this incident, and based on external analyzes and own, it is very unlikely that it poses a risk to the health of consumers. The possible risk to health derives mainly from direct handling of the substance or from a hypothetical continued consumption in large doses,” he explains.
In the same sense, Mars points out that although the level of ethylene oxide in the affected ingredient is higher than the legal limits established for this ingredient in Europe, it only uses a very small amount of this ingredient. In addition, he ensures that the consumption of the products is not harmful to health.
The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), for its part, explained in its latest statement, published on Thursday, that it shares the concern of consumers about the problem posed by the presence of ethylene oxide residues in food. However, it assumes that the levels of ethylene oxide detected in some batches of the additive E410, which have been used for the manufacture of food, are very low and are below the legal limit of 0.02 mg/kg.
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