Traces of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic pesticide prohibited in Europe, have been detected in four prizes of vanilla ice cream of the brand of the American group General Mills.
Le Monde with AFP
The American group General Mills will proceed to the voluntary recall of four lots of its vanilla ice creams which it markets in France under the brand Häagen-Dazs after detection of traces of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic pesticide prohibited in Europe , he announced on Wednesday July 6.
“Following the detection of traces of ethylene oxide (ETO) in lots of certain Häagen-Dazs products, General Mills made the decision to proceed to the voluntary and preventive recall of its vanilla ice cream sold in France “One of its flagship perfumes announced the food giant in a press release. At the origin of this withdrawal, it evokes “traces of Eto [which] can be attributed to an ingredient [vanilla extract] provided by one of our suppliers. The residual presence of ETO slightly exceeds the analytical detection thresholds “, he explains.
“Given this information, the following products are subject to an immediate reminder”: vanilla ice creams in 460 ml and 650 ml format, in small pots of 95 ml, and those sold by boxes of four In the Vanilla Collection range, whose minimum durability date goes from this Wednesday to May 21, 2023.
many distributors concerned
Many distributors are concerned: among them, Auchan, Carrefour, Casino, Cora Franprix, Intermarché, Leclerc or Monoprix, the list also including the shops of the Häagen-Dazs glacier in France.
“The people who bought one of these products are asked to throw it and contact General Mills,” said the group. The consumer service will answer questions from the users concerned with the following free green number: 08-00-33-32-31. “Häagen-Dazs does not use Eto in its products, and these comply with all regulations in terms of food security and strict standards in force in all the markets where we operate,” says the company, which Returns responsibility to its supplier.
“No other Häagen-Dazs product is concerned”, specifies General Mills, who apologizes to his customers and consumers for the “inconvenience caused by this recall”. A refund will be offered to them. Ethylene oxide contamination had resulted in the withdrawal of numerous products in Europe – including icy creams – between 2020 and 2021, contaminated by this carcinogenic and prohibited active substance for food uses in the EuroEpenne Union since 1991.