FACUA-Consumidores en Acción has criticised the Spanish Food Agency for failing to make known a list of contaminated ice-cream brands.
According to this consumer watchdog organisation, the Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (Aesan) has not or will not publish this list of products contaminated with ethylene oxide.
“We do not understand this lack of transparency on the part of Aesan and the Ministry in relation to a product that is health hazard”, said the Secretary General of FACUA, Rubén Sánchez, adding that the authorities are not publishing product names or brands.
He considers that the protocol for withdrawing dangerous products from supermarket shelves has not been activated in this case, so consumers can know what products to avoid eating.
“They are not publishing anything yet we must know what icre-cream products are affected with E-410 additives contaminated by ethylene oxide because its carcinogenic, mutagenic and is dangerous in reproduction [gestation]”, he said.
He concluded with, “consumers have a right to know if a product can be prejudicial for their health.”
Editorial comment: if the government health body is keeping quiet to protect a large company with influence (lobbying) because selling ice cream in the summer is akin to selling toys at Christmas; i.e., a crucial campaign, then they are doing a great disservice to the whole sector because people will stop consuming all ice creams – full stop. On the other hand, it might be because everybody is on holiday in the said department.
(News: Spain)