Brussels 23/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Czech food inspection office issued a health warning on Monday 19 May about a type of cherry tomato imported from Morocco that is reported to cause indigestion, vomiting and stomach cramps. In a press release, the Moroccan horticulture federation FIFEL says it is astonished by what it describes as unfounded accusations. The same message was relayed by a press release from the Moroccan agriculture and maritime fisheries ministry, warning that the case could become political because EU-Morocco relations are strained at the moment over the question of fruit and vegetables.
The Czech Food Inspection Office, part of the ministry of agriculture, issued a health warning on Wednesday 21 May “with regard to cherry tomatoes imported from Morocco which may cause indigestion, vomiting and stomach cramps. The warning comes from the French authorities where 16 people suffered severe indigestion problems after consuming this particular brand of cherry tomatoes. According to the Food Inspection Office over 50,000 kilos of these tomatoes were imported to the Czech Republic. They are being sold in the Kaufland, Billa and Penny Market chains. Potentially contaminated batches were sold after April 20th”.
Complaints were first made in France, followed by the Czech Republic on 18 May. Since then, the press release states, the French health and anti-fraud authorities have carried out tests on tomatoes returned by consumers, tomatoes from the suspect batches and tests carried out by the French importer and these reveal that the products are, in the jargon, “conform”. FIFEL says more detailed investigations are being carried out to ensure the exported tomatoes in question meet all the health requirements.
FIFEL warns in its press release that this is not the first time in history that something like this as happened, with, in the recent past, an e.coli alert in a neighbouring country (Spain in 2005) which was widely commented upon and caused enormous economic losses and irreparable damage although, in the end, the source of the problem lay elsewhere. FIFEL says Morocco runs the risk of the same sorry fate following the Czech Republic's warning about Moroccan cherry tomatoes, and urges the EU health authorities to find the real reason or sources of this poisoning. (FB)