Carcinogenic sesame also in BiH, withdrawn from sale

(Patria) - Croatia and other European countries have for months been flooded with contaminated sesame imported from India containing the carcinogenic pesticide ethylene oxide, which is why a number of products containing sesame have also been withdrawn from the Croatian market.

Following this information, the Patria agency contacted the Food Safety Agency of BiH.

"The Food Safety Agency of BiH has forwarded all available information received through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (SANTE RASFF), concerning sesame seeds originating from India in which the presence of the prohibited substance ethylene oxide has been detected, to the competent inspection authorities for further action," the Agency stated in its written response.

They added that the competent inspection authorities have been asked to take appropriate measures within their jurisdiction and to report back to the Food Safety Agency.

"Until the preparation of this response, the competent inspection authorities have carried out market surveillance of the disputed sesame seeds to which the RASFF notification referred, and they have been withdrawn from the market and destroyed in a harmless manner," the Food Safety Agency's response to Patria's inquiry states.

We remind you that alarms due to contaminated sesame have been raised throughout the EU, as well as in our region. In addition to Croatia, Serbia also reacted, whose Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management decided to return a shipment of sesame to India due to contamination with an inadmissible amount of carcinogenic ethylene oxide.

For the health of the citizens, we hope that the contaminated sesame will remain outside the BiH market.