A new health scandal is making noise. The Ministry of Economy, Finance and Recovery has just published a new list of products removed from supermarket shelves. After the cheeses contaminated by listeriosis, now ice creams, biscuits and chocolates are contaminated by ethylene oxide , a dangerous insecticide banned in Europe. This carcinogenic substance has been found in more than 9,000 products sold in supermarkets. According to Ingrid Kragl of the NGO Foodwatch, this is a real "health scandal".
In September 2020, a report was made concerning the presence of ethylene oxide in a batch of sesame in Belgium. Since this alert, Ingrid Kragl reveals that the quantity of non-compliant products is impressive “we have certainly been consuming products exposed to ethylene oxide for years”. The list of products containing this insecticide does indeed continue to grow.
This chemical is classified as a carcinogen and mutagen. On the website of the DGCCRF , the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention, we can read that it“ may cause genetic defects and reprotoxic (CMR), the use of which is prohibited in the European Union as a food protection product and animal feed since 2011”.
To date, the recalled products are mainly ice cream . There are in particular sticks of the brands Milka, Côte d'Or, Daim, Toblerone... But also some trays of La Laitière.
If you bought these ice creams, it is advisable to return them to the store for a refund or to destroy them.
Discover the list of recalled products.
